Reactive hypoglycemia
D. D. Johnson, K. E. Dorr, W. M. Swenson and F. J. Service
The clinical characteristics and scores on the Minnesota Multiphasic
Personality Inventory (MMPI) of 192 patients undergoing a five-hour oral
glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for evaluation of reactive hypoglycemia were
assessed. There were twice as many women as men. One hundred twenty-nine
patients had spells of light-headedness, shakiness, diaphoresis, weakness,
and fatigue. Hypoglycemic symptoms occurring during the test were not
related to level of plasma glucose nadir or to rate of descent of glucose
level. Hypoglycemia was not found when glucose levels were measured during
occurrence of spontaneous symptoms in 86 patients. MMPI scores were
significantly different from those of general medical patients. Both men
and women evinced a conversion V profile. The five-hour OGTT seems
unreliable for the diagnosis of reactive hypoglycemia, and most patients
with symptoms suggestive of hypoglycemia may have emotional disturbances.
