Chromium induced clinical improvement in symptomatic hypoglycemia

Abstract

The present study included 20 patients indicating clinical symptoms of hypoglycemia, of which 19 showed a minimal glucose level in the tolerance curve above 2.2 mmol/L (limit for glucose induced hypoglycemia). This clinical state is defined here as “symptomatic hypoglycemia”. All individuals were studied for effects of a daily intake for three mo of a yeast chromium supplement (125 μg Cr/d). The patients were followed by means of their oral glucose tolerance curve (1 g glucose/kg body wt) and by an interrogation scheme prior to during and after chromium supplementation.

During three mo of chromium supplementation, a decrease was found in the negative part of the glucose tolerance curve, i.e., the part of the curve being below the fasting level in eight patients (40%). However, one mo after treatment, 10 patients out of 13 (77%) showed decreased areas of the negative part of the glucose tolerance curve compared to the values during treatment, and 11 out of 15 (73%) showed decreases in the negative part of the curve when posttreatment data were compared to ante-treatment data.

The subjective clinical effects were followed by means of a questionnaire. Subjectively, the effects of organo-chromium were especially pronounced on chilliness. Thus seven (47%) indicated improvement and two (15%) indicated that the chilliness disappeared. However, trembling, emotional instability, and disorientation symptoms improved as well.