Treatment is typically achieved via diet and exercise, although metformin may be used to reduce insulin levels in some patients (typically where obesity is present). A referral to a dietician is beneficial. Another method used to lower excessively high insulin levels is cinnamon as was demonstrated when supplemented in clinical human trials.

A low carbohydrate diet is particularly effective in reducing hyperinsulinism.

A healthy diet that is low in simple sugars and processed carbohydrates, and high in fiber, and vegetable protein is often recommended. This includes replacing white bread with whole-grain bread, reducing intake of foods composed primarily of starch such as potatoes, and increasing intake of legumes and green vegetables, particularly soy.

Regular monitoring of weight, blood sugar, and insulin are advised, as hyperinsulinemia may develop into diabetes mellitus type 2.

It has been shown in many studies that physical exercise improves insulin sensitivity. The mechanism of exercise on improving insulin sensitivity is not well understood however it is thought that exercise causes the glucose receptor GLUT4 to translocate to the membrane. As more GLUT4 receptors are present on the membrane more glucose is taken up into cells decreasing blood glucose levels which then causes decreased insulin secretion and some alleviation of hyperinsulinemia. Another proposed mechanism of improved insulin sensitivity by exercise is through AMPK activity. The beneficial effect of exercise on hyperinsulinemia was shown in a study by Solomon et al. (2009), where they found that improving fitness through exercise significantly decreases blood insulin concentrations.

The primary treatment for insulin resistance is exercise and weight loss. Research shows that a low-carbohydrate diet may help. Both metformin and thiazolidinediones improve insulin resistance, but only are approved therapies for type 2 diabetes, not for insulin resistance. By contrast, growth hormone replacement therapy may be associated with increased insulin resistance.

Metformin has become one of the more commonly prescribed medications for insulin resistance. Unfortunately, Metformin also masks Vitamin B12 deficiency, so accompanying sub-lingual Vitamin B12 tablets are recommended.

Insulin resistance is often associated with abnormalities in lipids particularly high blood triglycerides and low high density lipoprotein.

The "Diabetes Prevention Program" (DPP) showed that exercise and diet were nearly twice as effective as metformin at reducing the risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes. However, the participants in the DPP trial regained about 40% of the weight that they had lost at the end of 2.8 years, resulting in a similar incidence of diabetes development in both the lifestyle intervention and the control arms of the trial. One 2009 study found that carbohydrate deficit after exercise, but not energy deficit, contributed to insulin sensitivity increase.

Resistant starch from high-amylose corn, amylomaize, has been shown to reduce insulin resistance in healthy individuals, in individuals with insulin resistance, and in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Animal studies demonstrate that it cannot reverse damage already done by high glucose levels, but that it reduces insulin resistance and reduces the development of further damage.

Some types of polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3) may moderate the progression of insulin resistance into type 2 diabetes, however, omega-3 fatty acids appear to have limited ability to reverse insulin resistance, and they cease to be efficacious once type 2 diabetes is established.

Caffeine intake limits insulin action, but not enough to increase blood-sugar levels in healthy persons. People who already have type 2 diabetes may see a small increase in levels if they take 2 or 2-1/2 cups of coffee per day.

The blood glucose can usually be raised to normal within minutes with 15-20 grams of carbohydrate, although overtreatment should be avoided if at all possible. It can be taken as food or drink if the person is conscious and able to swallow. This amount of carbohydrate is contained in about 3-4 ounces (100-120 mL) of orange, apple, or grape juice, about 4-5 ounces (120-150 mL) of regular (non-diet) soda, about one slice of bread, about 4 crackers, or about 1 serving of most starchy foods. Starch is quickly digested to glucose, but adding fat or protein retards digestion. Composition of the treatment should be considered, as fruit juice is typically higher in fructose which takes the body longer to metabolize than simple dextrose alone. Following treatment, symptoms should begin to improve within 5 to 10 minutes, although full recovery may take 10–20 minutes. It should be noted that over treatment does not speed recovery, and will simply produce hyperglycemia afterwards, which ultimately will need to be corrected. On the other hand, since the excess of insulin over the amount required to normalize blood sugar may continue to reduce blood sugar levels after treatment has produced an initial normalization, continued monitoring is required to determine if further treatment is necessary.

Diet is a critical component of treatment, and is in many cases effective on its own. For example, a recent mini-study showed that many diabetic cats stopped needing insulin after changing to a low carbohydrate diet.

The rationale is that a low-carbohydrate diet reduces the amount of insulin needed and keeps the variation in blood sugar low and easier to predict. Also, fats and proteins are metabolized slower than carbohydrates, reducing dangerous blood-sugar peaks right after meals.

Recent recommended diets are trending towards a low carbohydrate diet for cats rather than the formerly-recommended high-fiber diet. Carbohydrate levels are highest in dry cat foods made out of grains (even the expensive "prescription" types) so cats are better off with a canned diet that is protein and fat focused. Both prescription canned foods made for diabetic cats and regular brand foods are effective. Owners should aim to supply no more than 10% of the daily energy requirement of cats with carbohydrates.

If a person cannot receive oral glucose gel or tablets, such as the case with unconsciousness, seizures, or altered mental status, then emergency personnel (EMTs/Paramedics and in-hospital personnel) can establish a peripheral or central IV line and administer a solution containing dextrose and saline. These are normally referred to as Dextrose (Concentration) Water, and come in 5%, 10%, 25% and 50%. Dextrose 5% and 10% come in IV bag and syringe form, and are mainly used in infants and to provide a fluid medium for medications. Dextrose 25% and 50% are heavily necrotic due to their hyperosmolarity, and should only be given through a patent IV line - Any infiltration can cause massive tissue necrosis. CAUTION: Dextrose 25% and 50% can easily cause necrosis in small veins. It is MUCH safer to use a Dextrose 10% solution when treating hypoglycemia via IV in children under the age of 14. When using Dextrose 25% in a child it is safer to administer it through a central line or an intra-oseous line.

Diabetes can be treated but is life-threatening if left alone. Early diagnosis and treatment by a qualified veterinarian can help in preventing nerve damage, and, in rare cases, lead to remission. Cats do best with long-lasting insulin and low carbohydrate diets. Because diabetes is a disease of carbohydrate metabolism, a move to a primarily protein and fat diet reduces the occurrence of hyperglycemia.

The guidelines for preventing impaired fasting glucose are the same as those given for preventing type 2 diabetes in general. If these are adhered to, the progression to clinical diabetes can be slowed or halted. In some cases, a complete reversal of IFG can be achieved. Certain risk factors, such as being of Afro-Caribbean or South Asian ethnicity, as well as increasing age, are unavoidable, and such individuals may be advised to follow these guidelines, as well as monitor their blood glucose levels, more closely.

The concept that insulin resistance may be the underlying cause of diabetes mellitus type 2 was first advanced by Professor Wilhelm Falta and published in Vienna in 1931, and confirmed as contributory by Sir Harold Percival Himsworth of the University College Hospital Medical Centre in London in 1936, however, type 2 diabetes does not occur unless there is concurrent failure of compensatory insulin secretion.

Treatment of hyperglycemia requires elimination of the underlying cause, such as diabetes. Acute hyperglycemia can be treated by direct administration of insulin in most cases. Severe hyperglycemia can be treated with oral hypoglycemic therapy and lifestyle modification.

In diabetes mellitus (by far the most common cause of chronic hyperglycemia), treatment aims at maintaining blood glucose at a level as close to normal as possible, in order to avoid these serious long-term complications. This is done by a combination of proper diet, regular exercise, and insulin or other medication such as metformin, etc.

Those with hyperglycaemia can be treated using sulphonylureas or metformin or both. These drugs help by improving glycaemic control

Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitor alone or in combination with basal insulin can be used as a treatment for hyperglycemia with patients still in the hospital.

The most effective means of preventing further episodes of hypoglycemia depends on the cause.

The risk of further episodes of diabetic hypoglycemia can often (but not always) be reduced by lowering the dose of insulin or other medications, or by more meticulous attention to blood sugar balance during unusual hours, higher levels of exercise, or decreasing alcohol intake.

Many of the inborn errors of metabolism require avoidance or shortening of fasting intervals, or extra carbohydrates. For the more severe disorders, such as type 1 glycogen storage disease, this may be supplied in the form of cornstarch every few hours or by continuous gastric infusion.

Several treatments are used for hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia, depending on the exact form and severity. Some forms of congenital hyperinsulinism respond to diazoxide or octreotide. Surgical removal of the overactive part of the pancreas is curative with minimal risk when hyperinsulinism is focal or due to a benign insulin-producing tumor of the pancreas. When congenital hyperinsulinism is diffuse and refractory to medications, near-total pancreatectomy may be the treatment of last resort, but in this condition is less consistently effective and fraught with more complications.

Hypoglycemia due to hormone deficiencies such as hypopituitarism or adrenal insufficiency usually ceases when the appropriate hormone is replaced.

Hypoglycemia due to dumping syndrome and other post-surgical conditions is best dealt with by altering diet. Including fat and protein with carbohydrates may slow digestion and reduce early insulin secretion. Some forms of this respond to treatment with a glucosidase inhibitor, which slows starch digestion.

Reactive hypoglycemia with demonstrably low blood glucose levels is most often a predictable nuisance which can be avoided by consuming fat and protein with carbohydrates, by adding morning or afternoon snacks, and reducing alcohol intake.

Idiopathic postprandial syndrome without demonstrably low glucose levels at the time of symptoms can be more of a management challenge. Many people find improvement by changing eating patterns (smaller meals, avoiding excessive sugar, mixed meals rather than carbohydrates by themselves), reducing intake of stimulants such as caffeine, or by making lifestyle changes to reduce stress. See the following section of this article.

To relieve reactive hypoglycemia, the NIH recommends taking the following steps:

- Avoiding or limiting sugar intake;

- Exercising regularly; exercise increases sugar uptake which decreases excessive insulin release

- Eating a variety of foods, including meat, poultry, fish, or nonmeat sources of protein, foods such as whole-grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and dairy products;

- Choosing high-fiber foods.

Other tips to prevent sugar crashes include:

- Avoiding eating meals or snacks composed entirely of carbohydrates; simultaneously ingest fats and proteins, which have slower rates of absorption.

- Consistently choosing longer lasting, complex carbohydrates to prevent rapid blood-sugar dips in the event that one does consume a disproportionately large amount of carbohydrates with a meal

- Monitoring any effects medication may have on symptoms.

Low-carbohydrate diet and/or frequent small split meals is the first treatment of this condition. The first important point is to add small meals at the middle of the morning and of the afternoon, when glycemia would start to decrease. If adequate composition of the meal is found, the fall in blood glucose is thus prevented. Patients should avoid rapidly absorbable sugars and thus avoid popular soft drinks rich in glucose or sucrose. They should also be cautious with drinks associating sugar and alcohol, mainly in the fasting state.

As it is a short-term ailment, a sugar crash does not usually require medical intervention in most people. The most important factors to consider when addressing this issue are the composition and timing of foods.

Acute low blood sugar symptoms are best treated by consuming small amounts of sweet foods, so as to regain balance in the body’s carbohydrate metabolism. Suggestions include sugary foods that are quickly digested, such as:

- Dried fruit

- Soft drinks

- Juice

- Sugar as sweets, tablets or cubes.

The American College of Endocrinology (ACE) and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) have developed "lifestyle intervention" guidelines for preventing the onset of type 2 diabetes:

- Healthy meals (a diet with no saturated and trans fats, sugars, and refined carbohydrates, as well as limited the intake of sodium and total calories)

- Physical exercise (30–45 minutes of cardio vascular exercise per day, five days a week)

- Reducing weight by as little as 5–10 percent may have a significant impact on overall health

Acute hypoglycemia is reversed by raising the blood glucose. Glucagon should be injected intramuscularly or intravenously, or dextrose can be infused intravenously to raise the blood glucose. Oral administration of glucose can worsen the outcome, as more insulin is eventually produced. Most people recover fully even from severe hypoglycemia after the blood glucose is restored to normal. Recovery time varies from minutes to hours depending on the severity and duration of the hypoglycemia. Death or permanent brain damage resembling stroke can occur rarely as a result of severe hypoglycemia. See hypoglycemia for more on effects, recovery, and risks.

Further therapy and prevention depends upon the specific cause.

Most hypoglycemia due to excessive insulin occurs in people who take insulin for type 1 diabetes. Management of this hypoglycemia is sugar or starch by mouth (or in severe cases, an injection of glucagon or intravenous dextrose). When the glucose has been restored, recovery is usually complete. Prevention of further episodes consists of maintaining balance between insulin, food, and exercise. Management of hypoglycemia due to treatment of type 2 diabetes is similar, and the dose of the oral hypoglycemic agent may need to be reduced. Reversal and prevention of hypoglycemia is a major aspect of the management of type 1 diabetes.

Hypoglycemia due to drug overdose or effect is supported with extra glucose until the drugs have been metabolized. The drug doses or combination often needs to be altered.

Hypoglycemia due to a tumor of the pancreas or elsewhere is usually curable by surgical removal. Most of these tumors are benign. Streptozotocin is a specific beta cell toxin and has been used to treat insulin-producing pancreatic carcinoma.

Hyperinsulinism due to diffuse overactivity of beta cells, such as in many of the forms of congenital hyperinsulinism, and more rarely in adults, can often be treated with diazoxide or a somatostatin analog called octreotide. Diazoxide is given by mouth, octreotide by injection or continuous subcutaneous pump infusion. When congenital hyperinsulinism is due to focal defects of the insulin-secretion mechanism, surgical removal of that part of the pancreas may cure the problem. In more severe cases of persistent congenital hyperinsulinism unresponsive to drugs, a near-total pancreatectomy may be needed to prevent continuing hypoglycemia. Even after pancreatectomy, continuous glucose may be needed in the form of gastric infusion of formula or dextrose.

High dose glucocorticoid is an older treatment used for presumptive transient hyperinsulinism but incurs side effects with prolonged use.

Certain medications increase the risk of hyperglycemia, including corticosteroids, octreotide, beta blockers, epinephrine, thiazide diuretics, niacin, pentamidine, protease inhibitors, L-asparaginase, and some antipsychotic agents. The acute administration of stimulants such as amphetamine typically produces hyperglycemia; chronic use, however, produces hypoglycemia. Some of the newer psychotropic medications, such as Zyprexa (Olanzapine) and Cymbalta (Duloxetine), can also cause significant hyperglycemia.

Thiazides are used to treat type 2 diabetes but it also causes severe hyperglycemia.

Ketosis is deliberately induced by use of a ketogenic diet as a medical intervention in cases of intractable epilepsy. Other uses of low-carbohydrate diets remain controversial. Carbohydrate deprivation to the point of ketosis has been argued to have both negative and positive effects on health.

Clinical Trials of NDM

- The research article is entitled, "A Successful Transition to sulfonamides treatment in male infant with novel neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM) caused by the ABBC8 gene mutation and 3 years follow up". It is a case study on the transitioning of treatments from insulin therapy to sulfonamides therapy. NDM is not initiated by an autoimmune mechanism but mutations in K-sensitve channel, "KCNJ11, ABCC8" and "INS" genes are successful targets for changing treatments from insulin to sulfonamides therapy.

- Introduction: Within this study a two month old male was admitted into the intensive care unit, because the he was showing signs of diabetic ketoacidosis. Other symptoms include, respiratory tract infection, sporous, dehydration, reduced subcutaneous fat, Candida mucous infection. The infant's family history was negative for diseases of importance to hereditary and the eldest sibling was healthy.

- Experiment: The current treatment plan consist of therapy for ketoacidosis was started upon admissions into the hospital. Also, subcutaneous insulin was given (0.025-0.05 units/kg/h) and adjusted to the glycaemic profiles and the patient was converted to euglycaemic state. After 24 hours, oral intake of insulin started and treatment continued with subcutaneous short acting insulin then intermediate acting insulin plus 2 dosage of short acting insulin. A genetic analysis was conducted for NDM and mutation of KCNJ11, "ABCC8" and "INS" genes have been given. Sequence analysis showed a rare heterogeneous missense mutation, PF577L, in the patient's exon 12 of ABCC8 gene. This confirms diagnosis of NDM caused by heterozygous mutation in the SUR1 subunit of the pancreatic ATP-sensitive potassium channel, because his parents' white blood cells did not show signs of this mutation.

- Results: Switching from the insulin therapy to the sulfonamides was a successful treatment. It is the current regimen used to treat NDM.

- Discussion/Conclusion: ABCC8 gene produces SUR1 protein subunit that interacts with pancreatic ATP-sensitive potassium channel. When the channel opens a large amount of insulin is released. Mutations that occur in ABCC8 are associated with congential hyperinsulinism and PNDM or TNDM. Patients that have mutations in their potassium channel, improved their glucose levels with sulfonylurea regimen and glibenclamide showed successful results in managing glucose levels as well.

- A 2006 study showed that 90% of patients with a KCNJ11 mutation were able to successfully transition to sulfonylurea therapy.

Treatment of some forms of hypoglycemia, such as in diabetes, involves immediately raising the blood sugar to normal through the ingestion of carbohydrates, determining the cause, and taking measures to hopefully prevent future episodes. However, this treatment is not optimal in other forms such as reactive hypoglycemia, where rapid carbohydrate ingestion may lead to a further hypoglycemic episode.

Blood glucose can be raised to normal within minutes by taking (or receiving) 10–20 grams of carbohydrate. It can be taken as food or drink if the person is conscious and able to swallow. This amount of carbohydrate is contained in about 3–4 ounces (100–120 ml) of orange, apple, or grape juice although fruit juices contain a higher proportion of fructose which is more slowly metabolized than pure dextrose, alternatively, about 4–5 ounces (120–150 ml) of regular (non-diet) soda may also work, as will about one slice of bread, about 4 crackers, or about 1 serving of most starchy foods. Starch is quickly digested to glucose (unless the person is taking acarbose), but adding fat or protein retards digestion. Symptoms should begin to improve within 5 minutes, though full recovery may take 10–20 minutes. Overfeeding does not speed recovery and if the person has diabetes will simply produce hyperglycemia afterwards. A mnemonic used by the American Diabetes Association and others is the "rule of 15" – consuming 15 grams of carbohydrate followed by a 15-minute wait, repeated if glucose remains low (variable by individual, sometimes 70 mg/dl).

If a person is suffering such severe effects of hypoglycemia that they cannot (due to combativeness) or should not (due to seizures or unconsciousness) be given anything by mouth, medical personnel such as paramedics, or in-hospital personnel can establish IV access and give intravenous dextrose, concentrations varying depending on age (infants are given 2 ml/kg dextrose 10%, children are given dextrose 25%, and adults are given dextrose 50%). Care must be taken in giving these solutions because they can cause skin necrosis if the IV is infiltrated, sclerosis of veins, and many other fluid and electrolyte disturbances if administered incorrectly. If IV access cannot be established, the patient can be given 1 to 2 milligrams of glucagon in an intramuscular injection. More treatment information can be found in the article diabetic hypoglycemia. If a person is suffering less severe effects, and is conscious with the ability to swallow, medical personal such as EMT-B's may administer gelatinous oral glucose.

One situation where starch may be less effective than glucose or sucrose is when a person is taking acarbose. Since acarbose and other alpha-glucosidase inhibitors prevents starch and other sugars from being broken down into monosaccharides that can be absorbed by the body, patients taking these medications should consume monosaccharide-containing foods such as glucose tablets, honey, or juice to reverse hypoglycemia.

The risk of progression to diabetes and development of cardiovascular disease is greater than for impaired fasting glucose.

Although some drugs can delay the onset of diabetes, lifestyle modifications play a greater role in the prevention of diabetes. Patients identified as having an IGT may be able to prevent diabetes through a combination of increased exercise and reduction of body weight. "Drug therapy can be considered when aggressive lifestyle interventions are unsuccessful."

The progression to type 2 diabetes mellitus is not inevitable for those with prediabetes. The progression into diabetes mellitus from prediabetes is approximately 25% over three to five years.

Although this hypothesis is well known among clinicians and individuals with diabetes, there is little scientific evidence to support it. Clinical studies indicate that a high fasting glucose in the morning is more likely because the insulin given on the previous evening fails to last long enough. Studies from 2007 onwards using continuous glucose monitoring show that a high glucose in the morning is not preceded by a low glucose during the night. Furthermore, many individuals with hypoglycemic episodes during the night don't wake due to a failure of release of epinephrine during nocturnal hypoglycemia. Thus, Somogyi's theory is not assured and may be refuted.

If known causes for ketotic hypoglycemia such as the ketotic Glycogen Storage Disease subtypes can be ruled out, it has been proposed that this condition simply represents the extreme edge of the normal population in terms of tolerance for fasting and ability to maintain normoglycemia. It is also possible that some children given this diagnosis have still-undiscovered defects of metabolism which will eventually be identified.

In theory, avoidance is simply a matter of preventing hyperinsulinemia. In practice, the difficulty for a diabetic person to aggressively dose insulin to keep blood sugars levels close to normal and at the same time constantly adjust the insulin regimen to the dynamic demands of exercise, stress, and wellness can practically assure occasional hyperinsulinemia. The pharmacokinetic imperfections of all insulin replacement regimens is a severe limitation.

Some practical behaviors which are useful in avoiding chronic Somogyi rebound are:

- frequent blood glucose monitoring (8–10 times daily);

- continuous blood glucose monitoring;

- logging and review of blood glucose values, searching for patterns of low blood sugar values;

- conservative increases in insulin delivery;

- awareness to the signs of hypoglycemia;

- awareness to hyperglycemia in response to increased delivery of insulin;

- use of appropriate types of insulin (long-acting, short-acting, etc.) in appropriate amounts.

Children "outgrow" ketotic hypoglycemia, presumably because fasting tolerance improves as body mass increases. In most the episodes become milder and more infrequent by 4 to 5 years of age and rarely occur after age 9. Onset of hypoglycemia with ketosis after age 5 or persistence after age 7 should elicit referral and an intensive search for a more specific disease.

Modulating and ameliorating diabetic complications may improve the overall quality of life for diabetic patients. For example; when elevated blood pressure was tightly controlled, diabetic related deaths were reduced by 32% compared to those with less controlled blood pressure.

In many cases, neonatal diabetes may be treated with oral sulfonylureas such as glyburide. Physicians may order genetic tests to determine whether or not transitioning from insulin to sulfonylurea drugs is appropriate for a patient.

The transfer from insulin injections to oral glibenclamide therapy seems highly effective for most patients and safe. This illuminates how the molecular understanding of some monogenic form of diabetes may lead to an unexpected change of the treatment in children. This is a spectacular example of how the pharmacogenomic approach improves in a tremendous way the quality of life of the young diabetic patients.

Insulin Therapy

- Long Acting Insulin: (Insulin glargine)-is a hormone that works by lowering levels of blood glucose. It starts to work several hours after an injection and keeps working for 24 hours. It is used to manage blood glucose of diabetics. It is used to treat Type 1 and 2 diabetes in adults and Type 1 diabetes in kids as young as 6 years old.

- Short Acting Insulin (e.g. Novolin or Velosulin)-It works similarly to natural insulin and takes up to 30 minutes and lasts for about 8 hours depending on the dosage used.

- Intermediate Insulin: (e.g. NPH insulin)- Usually taken in combination with a short acting insulin. Intermediate acting insulin starts to activate within the first hour of injecting and enters a period of peak activity lasting for 7 hours.

Sulfonylureas

- Sulfonylureas: This medication signals the pancreas to release insulin and help the body's cells use insulin better. This medicaiton can lower A1C levels ( AIC is defined as a measurement of the blood glucose after previous 2–3 months) by 1-2%.