A new study has found that hypoglycemia in insulin-treated patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) often peaks late in the morning after hospital discharge. It highlights a critical window for intervention to improve patient safety during the transition from inpatient to home care. The results of the study were published in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation.
Researchers followed 15 hospitalized patients with poorly controlled T2D who were on multiple daily insulin injections. Continuous glucose monitoring began one day before discharge and continued for 13 days post-discharge. 
The group had a mean age of 52.7 years, an average HbA1c of 12.4%, and had been hospitalized for just over 13 days.
The proportion of time spent below the target glucose range increased significantly after discharge (from 7.0% at the time of discharge to 17.6% by the end of follow-up). Hypoglycemic episodes peaked around 12:00, with the most frequent events occurring between 11:00 and 12:00, and the fewest at 17:30. 
The analysis found no significant association between these peak times and specific clinical or biochemical factors.