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Comparative Study
. 2020 Apr;22(2):197-204.
doi: 10.1177/1099800419898002. Epub 2020 Feb 3.

Real-Time Associations Between Glucose Levels and Fatigue in Type 2 Diabetes: Sex and Time Effects

Cynthia Fritschi  1 , Chang Park  2 , Laurie Quinn  1 , Eileen G Collins  1   3
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Real-Time Associations Between Glucose Levels and Fatigue in Type 2 Diabetes: Sex and Time Effects

Cynthia Fritschi et al. Biol Res Nurs. 2020 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: Fatigue is a pervasive and serious complaint among aging adults with type 2 diabetes. Anecdotally, hyperglycemia was thought to cause fatigue, but prior cross-sectional analyses failed to find any relationship between glucose levels and fatigue. However, study methodology may have caused this relationship to be missed. Our aim was to use concurrent and continuous data across 5 days to examine real-time momentary relationships between glucose and fatigue levels by week, day, and time of day. Additionally, we explored how these relationships differed by sex.

Method: Participants (N = 54, 51% male, 54% non-White) wore continuous glucose monitors and wrist actigraphy into which they inputted fatigue ratings 6-8 times daily during waking hours across 5 days. Generalized estimation equation models were used to explore the relationship between glucose and fatigue when averaged by week, day, and time of day. Differences by sex were also explored.

Results: HbA1c and baseline and real-time fatigue were higher in women than in men. Baseline HbA1c and self-reported general fatigue were unrelated. Fatigue levels averaged by day and time of day were higher in women than in men (p < .05). Glucose and fatigue were significantly related at all levels of data (weekly, daily, and time of day) in women but not men.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that, when measured concurrently, glucose excursions may affect fatigue levels in women.

Keywords: continuous glucose monitoring; diabetes symptoms; real-time data.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Daily average fatigue scores by sex. Error bars represent 95% confidence interval. *p < .05.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Average fatigue levels by time of day and sex.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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