Hypoglycemia is a medical term referring to a pathologic state produced by a lower than normal amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood. The term hypoglycemia literally means “low blood sugar”.
Hypoglycemia can produce a variety of symptoms and effects but the principal problems arise from an inadequate supply of glucose as fuel to the brain, resulting in impairment of function. Derangements of function can range from vaguely “feeling bad” to coma and (rarely) death. Hypoglycemia can arise from many causes, and can occur at any age. The most common forms of moderate and severe hypoglycemia occur as a complication of treatment of diabetes mellitus with insulin or oral medications.
Presence or absence of effects: are symptoms more important than the number?
Research in healthy adults shows that mental efficiency declines slightly but measurably as blood glucose falls below 65 mg/dl in many people. Hormonal defense mechanisms, adrenaline and glucagon, are activated as it drops below a threshold level which is about 55 mg/dl for most people, producing the typical symptoms of shakiness and dysphoria.
On the other hand, obvious...