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Condition

Severe Hypoglycemia

Severe hypoglycemia is a dangerously low blood sugar episode in which the brain runs short of fuel, causing confusion, seizures or fainting. The hormone glucagon, which tells the liver to release stored sugar, has the strongest evidence: across 16 studies, nearly everyone's glucose recovered within 30 minutes, typically in 10 to 13 minutes. Injected and nasal forms worked about equally well, though the research comes mostly from people with diabetes.

Sources: PMID 32873417

Supplements studied
0
Medicines and peptides
1
Graded outcomes
4
No supplement studies yetWe haven’t found supplement studies for Severe Hypoglycemia. The medicines and peptides studied for it are listed below.

Prescription medicines and peptides studied, for context

These are not supplements. Most need a prescription, and some are research compounds with no approved use.

1 medicine or peptide

Glucagon (GlucaGen/Gvoke/Baqsimi)

Glucagon (GlucaGen/Gvoke/Baqsimi): outcomes studied for Severe Hypoglycemia
GradeOutcomeEffectSizeStudiesPeopleStudies list
Glucose Recovery

99-100% achieve glucose >70 mg/dL within 30 min. Median time 10-13 min. Non-inferior across all delivery methods (IM, SC, nasal).

Improves (the measure goes up)Large effect9 studies

Studies that measured glucose recovery

and 6 more on the Glucagon (GlucaGen/Gvoke/Baqsimi) page

Time to Recovery

Median 10-12 min to plasma glucose recovery. Dasiglucagon: 65% recover within 10 min. Nasal: 11-16 min mean time to success.

Improves (the measure goes down)Large effect7 studies

Studies that measured time to recovery

and 4 more on the Glucagon (GlucaGen/Gvoke/Baqsimi) page

Symptom Relief

Rapid resolution of neuroglycopenic symptoms. Return of consciousness within 15-20 minutes in most patients.

Changes; see studiesLarge effect7 studies

Studies that measured symptom relief

and 4 more on the Glucagon (GlucaGen/Gvoke/Baqsimi) page

Treatment Success Rate

Phase 3: 100% success in children, 99% in adults. Autoinjector non-inferior to emergency kit. Nasal non-inferior to IM injection.

Improves (the measure goes up)Large effect7 studies

Studies that measured treatment success rate

and 4 more on the Glucagon (GlucaGen/Gvoke/Baqsimi) page

Key findings

  • Glucose RecoveryGlucagon (GlucaGen/Gvoke/Baqsimi)Improves (the measure goes up)
  • Time to RecoveryGlucagon (GlucaGen/Gvoke/Baqsimi)Improves (the measure goes down)
  • Symptom ReliefGlucagon (GlucaGen/Gvoke/Baqsimi)Changes; see studies

Studies cited

9 studies from PubMed

  1. Low-Dose Glucagon to Prevent and Treat Exercise-Associated Hypoglycemia in Individuals With Type 1 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Diabetes care, 2025 · PMID 40834249
  2. Dasiglucagon Effectively Mitigates Postbariatric Postprandial Hypoglycemia: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover TrialDiabetes Care, 2022 · PMID 35320361
  3. Comparison of a ready-to-use liquid glucagon injection administered by autoinjector to glucagon emergency kit for the symptomatic relief of severe hypoglycemia: two randomized crossover non-inferiority studiesJ Diabetes Sci Technol, 2022 · PMID 34620618
  4. Efficacy and Usability of Intranasal Glucagon for the Management of Hypoglycemia in Patients With Diabetes: A Systematic ReviewDiabetes Ther, 2020 · PMID 32873417
  5. Hemodynamic Effects of Glucagon: A Literature Review.The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2018 · PMID 29546411
  6. A review of potential cardiovascular uses of intravenous glucagon administration.Journal of clinical pharmacology, 1999 · PMID 10234590
  7. Glucagon--a review.The Journal of the Florida Medical Association, 1968 · PMID 5638895
  8. [Glucagon (literature review)].Problemy endokrinologii, 1968 · PMID 4900870
  9. Clinical outcomes and low-dose levocarnitine supplementation in psychiatric inpatients with documented hypocarnitinemia: a retrospective chart reviewJ Psychiatr Pract · PMID 20098226