Research

Hormonal

Relative hyperglucagonemia (inappropriate glucagon secretion relative to hyperglycemia) contributes to both fasting and postprandial hyperglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes by driving excessive hepatic glucose production.

In Type 2 Diabetes, high blood sugar isn't just about not having enough insulin; it's also about having too much glucagon, a hormone that tells your liver to release stored sugar. Newer medications (like GLP-1 agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors) work partly by fixing this glucagon imbalance, lowering blood sugar by stopping the liver from overproducing glucose.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Our overall conclusions are that there is considerable evidence that relative hyperglucagonemia contributes to fasting and postprandial hyperglycemia in patients with T2DM
Beth E. Dunning et al. · Endocrine Reviews · 2007

Why this rating

The paper is a comprehensive review citing numerous human and animal studies, though it acknowledges some controversy.

Source

The Role of α-Cell Dysregulation in Fasting and Postprandial Hyperglycemia in Type 2 Diabetes and Therapeutic Implications

Beth E. Dunning et al. · Endocrine Reviews · 2007

DOI 10.1210/er.2006-0026

narrative_reviewCited 367×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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