reactive hypoglycaemia

a condition of postprandial hypoglycaemia, of varying severity, induced by excessive levels of insulin release from the pancreas. It can be divided into 'early' or 'late' forms, depending on whether the insulin release occurs less than or more than three hours after the meal. The 'early' form is due to the rapid discharge of ingested carbohydrate from the stomach into the small bowel, immediately triggering hyperinsulinaemia. It can occur without obvious cause but is most commonly associated with upper-bowel surgery. The 'late' form is due to a loss of the early-phase insulin response causing excessive postprandial hyperglycaemia, which then itself triggers an exaggerated insulin response with subsequent hypoglycaemia.