People with diabetes are suffering needlessly from regular low blood sugar attacks, a survey suggests.
Among 2,000 people with type 2 diabetes, half had experienced symptoms of a hypoglycaemic episode in the past two weeks, the study found.
GPs said increasing pressure to tightly control patients' blood sugar was partly to blame for the problem.
Diabetes UK, which commissioned the survey, said it suggested many patients may not be on the right medication.
The number of people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK has increased by more than 145,000 in the last year, bringing the total figure to 2.6 million, the latest figures show.
A key part of treatment is to make sure blood sugar levels do not get too high, because this can lead to severe complications in the long term.
But on the other hand, very low blood sugar is also dangerous.
One type of commonly used drug in type 2 diabetes - sulphonylureas - can lead to hypoglycaemia, experts said.
The latest survey focused on mild or moderate attacks, which often come with warning signs such as feeling shaky, sweating, tingling in the lips, going pale, heart pounding, confusion and irritability.
More than half of those questioned said mild to moderate "hypos" affected their quality of life and one in 10 reported having to take at least one day off work in the last year as a result of a mild to moderate attack. Read more...
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