Diabetes Diet
Diabetes Facts
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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.
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