Table 2.
Clinical characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes.
| Variable | Total (n = 494) | FoH (n = 86) | non-FoH (n = 408) | P value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMI (Mean ± SD, kg/m2) | 24.30 ± 3.31 | 24.54 ± 2.99 | 24.25 ± 3.38 | 0.457 |
| HbA1c (Mean ± SD, %) | 7.91 ± 2.03 | 7.76 ± 1.95 | 7.95 ± 2.05 | 0.435 |
| Systolic blood pressure (Mean ± SD, mmHg) | 132.98 ± 16.36 | 135.38 ± 16.25 | 132.47 ± 16.36 | 0.134 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (Mean ± SD, mmHg) | 77.59 ± 10.13 | 76.90 ± 10.10 | 77.73 ± 10.14 | 0.488 |
| Number of hypoglycemic episodes in the past two weeks (Mean ± SD) | 0.40 ± 1.17 | 0.92 ± 1.46 | 0.29 ± 1.07 | < 0.001 |
| Number of hypoglycemic episodes in the past year (Mean ± SD) | 2.87 ± 6.70 | 6.69 ± 10.80 | 2.07 ± 5.13 | < 0.001 |
| Number of severe hypoglycemic episodes in the past year (Mean ± SD) | 0.04 ± 0.25 | 0.12 ± 0.45 | 0.02 ± 0.18 | 0.002 |
| Number of severe hypoglycemic episodes since diagnosis (Mean ± SD) | 0.17 ± 0.75 | 0.35 ± 1.13 | 0.13 ± 0.65 | 0.085 |
| Treatment in the past year, n (%) | 0.034 | |||
| Hypoglycemic drugs alone | 241 (48.8) | 31 (36.0) | 210 (51.5) | |
| Iinsulin alone | 51 (10.3) | 11 (12.8) | 40 (9.8) | |
| Insulin with hypoglycemic drugs | 189 (38.3) | 43 (50.0) | 146 (35.8) | |
| Other (diet, exercise, etc. ) | 13 (2.6) | 1 (1.2) | 12 (2.9) | |
| Insulin or insulin secretagogues, n (%) | 366 (74.1) | 75 (87.2) | 291 (71.3) | 0.002 |
| Duration of insulin use (Mean ± SD, years) | 3.82 ± 5.72 | 6.32 ± 6.76 | 3.30 ± 5.34 | < 0.001 |
| Duration of diabetes (Mean ± SD, years) | 10.93 ± 7.44 | 12.22 ± 6.87 | 10.66 ± 7.54 | 0.029 |
| Family history of diabetes, n (%) | 260 (52.6) | 48 (55.8) | 212 (52.0) | 0.515 |
| Number of hypoglycemic drugs used in the past year | ||||
| (Mean ± SD) | 1.68 ± 0.98 | 1.69 ± 1.02 | 1.68 ± 0.98 | 0.953 |
| Biguanides, n (%) | 367 (74.3) | 58 (67.4) | 309 (75.7) | 0.110 |
| Sulfonylureas, n (%) | 103 (20.9) | 15 (17.4) | 88 (21.6) | 0.392 |
| Glinides, n (%) | 63 (12.8) | 15 (17.4) | 48 (11.8) | 0.151 |
| Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, n (%) | 46 (9.3) | 12 (14.0) | 34 (8.3) | 0.103 |
| Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, n (%) | 79 (16.0) | 14 (16.3) | 65 (15.9) | 0.936 |
| Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, n (%) | 136 (27.5) | 28 (32.6) | 108 (26.5) | 0.251 |
| Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, n (%) | 23 (4.7) | 1 (1.2) | 22 (5.4) | 0.158 |
| Thiazolidinediones, n (%) | 13 (2.6) | 2 (2.3) | 11 (2.7) | 1.000 |
| Number of diabetes complications (Mean ± SD) | 1.49 ± 1.30 | 1.86 ± 1.37 | 1.41 ± 1.27 | 0.005 |
| Diabetic nephropathy, n (%) | 132 (26.7) | 29 (33.7) | 103 (25.2) | 0.106 |
| Diabetic retinopathy, n (%) | 132 (26.7) | 31 (36.0) | 101 (24.8) | 0.032 |
| Diabetic peripheral neuropathy, n (%) | 231 (46.8) | 53 (61.6) | 178 (43.6) | 0.002 |
| Diabetic foot, n (%) | 18 (3.6) | 1 (1.2) | 17 (4.2) | 0.301 |
| Diabetic macroangiopathy | 222 (44.9) | 46 (53.5) | 176 (43.1) | 0.079 |
| IAH, n (%) | 65 (13.2) | 17 (19.8) | 48 (11.8) | 0.046 |
IAH, impaired awareness of hypoglycemia; FoH, fear of hypoglycemia; BMI, body mass index; HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin; SD, standard deviation. The independent sample t-test, the Mann–Whitney U test, Pearson’s chi-squared test, the continuity corrected chi-squared test, and Fisher’s exact test were used to compare differences between groups. Hypoglycemia was defined as a plasma glucose level ≤ 3.9 mmol/L in patients with diabetes and severe hypoglycemia was defined as any hypoglycemic episode that led to seizures, loss of consciousness, and/or urgent medical attention. The number of hypoglycemic episodes was self-reported by patients on a questionnaire based on blood glucose self-monitoring diaries and their own memories.