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22 September, 2010

About Diabetes: Newer Medications and Newer Insulins

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you may feel overwhelmed by all the new information you have learned and will continue to learn about managing your diabetes. You already know your main goal should be to get your blood glucose (sugar) levels under control in order to increase your chances of a complication-free life. Many people know this, but need to know how to achieve good diabetes management, while balancing the day-to-day demands of diabetes with other life demands.
What is diabetes?
Diabetes is a disease characterized by levels of glucose (sugar) in the bloodstream that are higher than normal. Glucose is produced by the body from the foods that you eat. The pancreas, an organ located in the abdomen just behind the stomach, produces insulin. Insulin is a hormone that takes the glucose from the bloodstream and carries it inside your body’s cells where it is used for energy.
Diabetes occurs when the pancreas does not produce insulin or when the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin. Sometimes it is a combination of both problems. In either case, the result is that glucose does not enter the cells and builds up in the blood.

What are the major types of diabetes?

 

There are three major types of diabetes:
  1. Type 1 Diabetes—usually seen in children and young adults; with this type of diabetes the pancreas does not produce any insulin.
  2. Type 2 Diabetes—usually associated with obesity, an inactive lifestyle and aging. With this type of diabetes the body becomes resistant to the effects of insulin, and in advanced stages the pancreas gets exhausted and stops producing enough amounts of insulin.
  3. Gestational Diabetes—High blood sugars that occurs during pregnancy caused, in part, by normal hormones made by the placenta. It is usually reversible once the mother delivers the baby.
What are the risks of diabetes?
 
Keeping blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible is a key to the prevention of a number of serious complications from diabetes including heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage, and foot problems that may require amputation.



How is diabetes treated?
Treatment for diabetes depends on the type of diabetes you have and how well you respond to treatments. To keep blood glucose levels as close to normal the most common treatment options are:
  • Lifestyle changes (diet, exercise, and weight loss if necessary)
  • Oral (by mouth) medications
  • Injectable medications
  • Multiple Insulin injections daily with or without other medications
  • Insulin Pump
Different medications lower your blood sugar in different ways. Persons with type 1 diabetes need insulin. Patients with type 2 diabetes are usually treated with oral medications (pills) for months to several years, but often go on to require insulin to maintain glucose control. (Some people may never need to go on insulin.)

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