In the past ten years, the advances in drugs, devices and therapies have made diabetes management all the more dependable and consistent for those afflicted with this condition. This conclusion was reached after a review of the advancements that science has made regarding the management of this dreaded disease.
According to Aaron Cypess MD, PhD, Assistant Professor at the Harvard Medical School and current physician at the Joslin Diabetes Center, "In the last decade, I think we have transformed the way we manage diabetes. The new classes of drugs, better devices and fuller understanding on the importance of exercise and diet have helped many in the proper treatment and management of the condition."
There have also been many other changes in the mindset and intervention regarding this condition. Doctors have been increasingly more aggressive in the treatment and diagnosis of the condition, allowing for better results and earlier detection, key elements in the proper long term management of the disease.
New drugs as well as other types of insulin have provided better treatment options for the diabetic and their families. The following are but some of the latest drugs available in the market today.
1. DPP-4 Inhibitors. These are orally taken medications namely Januvia, Onglyza and Tradientas. These drugs help in the protection of a natural compound in the body, namely the GLP-1. When the GLP-1 breaks down, the body is unable to properly control the increase in blood glucose levels in the body.
2. Incretin Mimetics or GLP Analogs. These are the class of injectible drugs such as Byetta and Victoza. This enhances the body's ability to signal insulin boosts needed especially after having meals.
3. Other Drugs. These new drugs include Symilin, which is an injectible hormone that helps lower blood sugar levels after meals. This drug helps individuals that also use injectible insulin to manage their diabetes.
4. Combination Drugs. These have made the big difference as they provide different medications in just one pill. The common combination is metformin, a sulfonylurea, a meglitinide, a DPP4 inhibitor, a thiasolidinedione or thiazilidinedione. With combination therapy, this lowers the number of pills that a diabetic needs to take as well as lower their drug therapy bills. Because these drugs are name brand drugs, they tend to be more expensive compared to generic drugs. Another main issue is the individual characteristics of the severity of the diabetic condition may not be effectively managed using these combination drugs for diabetes.
Bobby Castro
Bobby Castro is the online editor at the Diabetes Forum, where he has published a number of articles about
diabetes treatment and many other topics.
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