Diabetes Treatment

The treatment methods for diabetes are numerous. Although diet and weight loss are imperative, as well as insulin injections for many patients, drug therapies, alternative therapies and even the future of genetic therapies can all be considered. Any or all of these methods will be appropriate and a physician should be consulted before any major decisions are made.
Today, the orally prescribed drug therapies for diabetes can be organized into five classes: sulfonylureas, meglitinides, biguanides, thiazolidinediones, and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors. These five types of drugs all work in different ways to lower the patients blood glucose levels. Sulfonylureas stimulate the pancreas to release more insulin. All sulfonylurea drugs have similar effects on blood glucose levels but are different in terms of side effects. Meglitinides also stimulate the pancreas to release insulin. Biguanides are different in that they lower blood glucose levels by decreasing the glucose in the liver. Thiazolidinediones are drugs that help insulin work in the muscle and fat and they also reduce glucose in the liver. Because this particular type of drugs can have a rare but serious effect on the liver, the doctor will perform blood tests to monitor the health of the liver. Finally, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors help the body to lower blood glucose levels by blocking the breakdown of starches, such as bread and pasta in the digestive tract. Their action slows the rise in blood glucose levels after a meal. Because the drugs listed above act in different ways to lower blood glucose levels, they may be used together.
There are many orallly prescribed medications that are available to help diabetics use insulin more effectively. These medications are only effective, however, for Type II diabetics who are at least producing SOME insulin on their own. In the more serious cases of Type II diabetes or in the case of Type 1 diabetes, insulin injections are needed.
Alternative treatments are also gaining popularity for diabetic patients. Among the most popular of these are acupuncture, biofeedback, chromium, ginsing, magnesium and vanadium supplements. Many scientists, especially in Asia, believe that acupuncture triggers the release of natural painkillers in the body. For this reason, acupuncture is often used by people with neuropathy, the painful nerve damage that comes about with diabetes. Biofeedback is also a popular therapy for diabetics. This therapy uses relaxation and stress-reduction techniques along with guided imagery to control or even cure chronic diseases such as diabetes. Chromium for diabetes may improve glucose tolerance factor, which helps insulin improve its action. Studies have also shown some glucose-lowering effects with ginsing. A deficiency in magnesium may also be a factor contributing to diabetes. Researchers think that a deficiency of magnesium may interrupt insulin secretion in the pancreas and may also increase insulin resistance in the body. This may lead to diabetes complications. Finally, some studies showed that the supplement Vanadium normalized blood glucose levels in animals with diabetes. It was also found that people with diabetes who were given vanadium developed a small increase in insulin sensitivity. They were able to decrease their insulin requirements through the use of this supplement.
Genetic research is at the cutting edge of treatment plans for the diabetic and is the real hope for the future. Once researchers know which genes are involved in bringing about diabetes, they will hopefully be able to develop a test to screen people. This may help to identify high-risk people who may require preventative action. Knowing what genes cause diabetes can also help scientists understand what drugs can counteract the disease.
A recently discovered gene, Calpain-10, has been found to increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes and has given scientists new hope of understanding this terrible disease. However, the researchers who discovered this gene say that they still need to learn more about how the gene influences diabetes. Scientists now know that the double-stranded DNA that makes up a gene only has to be off by one nucleotide to cause a problem in the patient. This lapsing nucleotide results in what is called a “single nucleotide polymorphism” or SNP. Some SNPs reduce the amount of protein that is produced in the body and therefore can lead to a diabetic condition. Researchers still don’t know how this decrease in protein increases a person’s risk for diabetes but there are certain associations that have already been made.
Obviously, this gene research is the future of the treatment methods for diabetics. Once scientists can understand the way in which these genes affect the patient with diabetes, the treatment plans will improve drastically. There is great hope for all diabetics that is just over the horizon. Because of this, it is more important than ever to maintain a healthy lifetyle and to think positively in terms of this increasingly manageable disease of diabetes.