Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is characterised by hyperglycaemia and high risk of developing diabetic complications. In patients with diabetes we encounter chronic hyperglycaemia and acute fluctuations of glycaemia.
The significance of acute glycaemic flunctuations, i.e. short-term glycaemic variability (GV) has been described less extensively. GV is getting increasing amounts of attention because of several factors: elevated GV is associated with a higher occurrence of hypoglycaemia, possibly contributes to development of late diabetic complications and negatively affects the patient's psychological wellbeing and thanks to a new technology - continuous glycaemic monitoring - we can now describe, measure, research and influence it much better.
Long-term GV is also attracting more attention, as well as short-term GV. Long-term GV is expressed in terms of variability of glycated haemoglobin and it is associated with a higher risk of diabetic complications.
This article gives an overview of the current findings regarding the clinical significance and therapeutic possibilities leading to lower GV.