Mike Golic, retired NFL star, current co-host of ESPN Radio’s nationally acclaimed radio show Mike & Mike in the Morning and type 2 diabetes patient, is speaking out about his personal experience with low blood sugar to help educate others with diabetes about the importance of managing blood sugar levels. Low blood sugar can cause potentially serious consequences if not treated quickly. To help educate about this problem, Golic has teamed up with the American College of Endocrinology (ACE) on the Blood Sugar Basics program, which is supported by Merck and provides useful tools and information about blood sugar.
"As a former professional athlete, I’m used to hiding pain and injuries, so when I started to feel increasingly dizzy and shaky during a tough workout, I pushed through it until I realized I needed to stop and eat something to get my blood sugar up," says Golic. “Now that I’ve learned more about the causes and symptoms of low blood sugar, I can take steps to help avoid it, and I’m thrilled to be working with ACE on the Blood Sugar Basics program to help others do the same.”
In addition to excessive exercise or a sudden increase in exercise, which caused Golic’s episode, low blood sugar can be caused by skipping meals or irregular mealtimes and certain diabetes medications.
“Many patients don’t know what can cause blood sugar levels to drop,” says Etie Moghissi, MD, FACP, FACE, president-elect of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) and associate clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles. “If they frequently experience low blood sugar, people with type 2 diabetes should talk with their doctor and may need to discuss changes to their diet, exercise or diabetes medications to help avoid future episodes.”
Golic experienced two of the most common symptoms of low blood sugar, dizziness and shakiness, but symptoms also can include nervousness or anxiety, confusion, sweating, tiredness, hunger or a fast heartbeat. Symptoms of low blood sugar may be mild at first but can worsen quickly if not treated and can even lead to loss of consciousness, requiring emergency care. As Golic learned at the gym, recognizing symptoms and treating them quickly before they get worse is critical, and his experience highlights the need for better education and understanding of the common causes, signs and symptoms of low blood sugar among people with type 2 diabetes.
To help people with type 2 diabetes learn more about low and high blood sugar, ACE created the Blood Sugar Basics website, www.BloodSugarBasics.com, which breaks down information on blood sugar into easy-to-understand interactive features, downloadable resources and fact pages to help people with diabetes learn more about blood sugar management. While the program is focused on type 2 diabetes, the most common type of diabetes, it also may be useful for people with other types of diabetes.
About Low Blood Sugar (Hypoglycemia)
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, occurs when the level of glucose in the blood is too low for the body’s needs. Symptoms that may be caused by low blood sugar include nervousness or anxiety, shakiness, sweating, tiredness, confusion, hunger, fast heartbeat and dizziness. Low blood sugar usually is caused by eating less or later than usual, changes in physical activity, or a diabetes medicine that is not matched to your needs. People with type 2 diabetes should talk with their doctor about ways to avoid future episodes of low blood sugar, including changes to meal plans, physical activity and potential adjustments to medication.
About Mike Golic
Mike Golic spent nine years as a defensive tackle in the NFL for the Houston Oilers, Philadelphia Eagles and Miami Dolphins. Once he retired, Golic started his television career with a weekly segment on the Randall Cunningham Show and went on to receive the Mid-Atlantic Region Emmy Award for his feature “Golic’s Got It.” Golic is now one of the namesakes behind the nationally acclaimed radio show Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio which, as of January 2006, has been syndicated through ESPN2 and reaches 98 million American homes every morning. Now 48 years old, Mike Golic is discussing his type 2 diabetes and experience with low blood sugar as part of the Blood Sugar Basics program to help others with the condition learn about the importance of blood sugar control.
About Blood Sugar Basics
Blood Sugar Basics is an educational program aimed to help people living with diabetes, their families and loved ones learn about the importance of controlling blood sugar levels as part of a successful diabetes treatment plan. The program was developed by the American College of Endocrinology (ACE) and supported by Merck. The Fast Five Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Blood Sugar, available on the Blood Sugar Basics website, is a great resource to help people start a conversation about blood sugar at their next doctor appointment. For more information on managing low and high blood sugar, an interactive blood sugar knowledge quiz, and checklists on how to help get through episodes of low and high blood sugar, visit www.BloodSugarBasics.com.
About the American College of Endocrinology (ACE)
The American College of Endocrinology (ACE) is the educational and scientific arm of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE). ACE is the leader in advancing the care and prevention of endocrine and metabolic disorders by: Providing professional education and reliable public health information; Recognizing excellence in education, research and service; Promoting clinical research and Defining the future of Clinical Endocrinology.
Contacts:
Bryan Campbell, 904-626-2915
