Treating diabetes
The treatment of Type 1 diabetes
The most important aspect of the treatment is the subcutaneous administration of insulin to maintain tightly controlled glucose levels throughout day and night. The tight control is important to prevent long term complications such as blindness and renal failure. Treatment is best delivered by a multidisciplinary team through a therapeutic education programme. The blood pressure and blood lipids need to be monitored carefully and treated aggressively when abnormalities are detected.The treatment of Type 2 diabetes
The mainstay of treatment in Type 2 diabetes is lifestyle change – weight loss, a structured exercise programme and a diet low in fat and with plenty of fruit and vegetables. Any diabetic should consult a dietician early in the disease to work out the correct diet for their lifestyle. It is of utmost importance that individuals attempt to stop smoking, and if it is not possible to stop, reduce the habit to an absolute minimum. However, recent research has shown that in most people, even the correct diet along with exercise will eventually not be sufficient to control their blood glucose and that drugs have to be used. The broad range of metabolic defects present often requires treatment with combinations of more than one drug. Furthermore, with time, as the ability of the pancreas to produce sufficient insulin wanes, increasing doses of medications and insulin injections may be required to control the blood sugar. The blood sugar levels should be reviewed by the patients doctor on a regular basis.The medications used for treating Type 2 diabetes have the following aims:
- Medications that lower the blood sugar levels
- Oral Hypoglycaemic Agents (OHA's).There is an increasing array of tablets that are now effective in lowering glucose levels in Type2 diabetics. They differ in their modes of action, side effect profile, cost and dosing schedule. The choice of which is most suitable needs to be made on an individual basis after a full medical assessment.
- Oral Hypoglycaemic Agents (OHA's).There is an increasing array of tablets that are now effective in lowering glucose levels in Type2 diabetics. They differ in their modes of action, side effect profile, cost and dosing schedule. The choice of which is most suitable needs to be made on an individual basis after a full medical assessment.
- Sulphonylureas: (E.g. Daonil, Glyben, Diamicron, Glucomed, Minibiab, Amaryl)
- Metformin: (E.g. Glucophage, Rolab-metformin)
