There are two major types. Type 1 diabetes can treate by diabetes by taking insulin injections. However, they require a careful diet and exercise plan to avoid the negative effects of treatment.
inpatient diabetes management type 2 through the use of lifestyle changes, oral medication injections, as well as insulin when other treatments don’t work.
There are so many drugs available for treating diabetes that it can be a challenge to decide which one is the most effective. This article will outline the various types of medications that are available, along with their effects on your body.
Medicines that treat Type 1 Diabetes
The treatment of type one diabetes includes insulin. It replaces the insulin that is not present and helps keep blood sugar levels stable.
Individuals can inject insulin directly under the skin. Or when hospitalized doctors can inject insulin straight into blood. Also, it is offered as a powder is able to breathe in by people. Certain people prefer using insulin pumps. They are tiny devices that deliver insulin through tubes that are inserted in the skin.
Insulin injections differ in the speed at which they take effect and when they take effect, and how long they stay in the body. The idea is to imitate the way that your body produces hormones throughout the day in order to increase energy consumption.
There are a variety of types of insulin.
Injections that are rapid-acting begin to work in 5 to 15 minutes however they last for a shorter period between 2 and 4 hours
- insulin lispro (Humalog)
- insulin aspart (NovoLog)
- insulin glulisine (Apidra)
Short-acting injectors are effective in between 30 minutes and 1 hour and last for between 3 and eight hours.
- normal insulin (Humulin R and Novolin R)
Intermediate-acting injectors are effective in about 1-to-4 hours lasting 12 to 18 hours
- insulin isophane is also known as NPH insulin (Humulin N and Novolin N)
Long-acting injectables are effective within about 1 to 2 hours and last up to 24 hours
- insulin glargine (Toujeo)
- insulin detemir (Levemir)
- insulin degludec (Tresiba)
Premixed insulins are a combination of the types of insulin mentioned above. They all take effect between 5 and 1 hour and last between 10 and 24 hours:
- insulin lispro prostamine and insulin Lipro (Humalog Mix50/50, and Mix75/25)
- Protamine as insulin, and insulin aspart (NovoLog Mix 50/50 and 70/30 of NovoLog Mix)
- Insulin NPH and insulin regular (Humulin 70/30, and Novolin 70/30)
People breathe in fast-acting nasal insulin which begins to work within between 12 and 15 minutes and is effective for 2.5 or 3 hours
- Insulin human powder (Afrezza)
Other medications used to treat type-1 diabetes
The following medications that are not insulin injectables are also used frequently by those who suffer from type 1 diabetes
- Amylin analogs Pramlintide (Symlin) is a clone of amylin as a hormone that is involved in the regulation of glucose.
- Glucagon can cause a change in blood sugar levels if they drop too low due to insulin therapy.
The treatment to treat type 2 diabetes
Insulin is also a great way to control blood glucose levels that are high in patients with type 2 diabetes however doctors generally prescribe it only in cases where other treatments aren’t having the desired effects.
Women suffering from the type 2 form of diabetes that get pregnant could also utilize it to limit the effect of the disease on the fetus.
For those with high blood glucose levels, despite taking lifestyle steps to lower them, doctors may prescribe non-insulin medicines to lower blood glucose levels. These are the drugs that are listed below.
Many drugs can have the potential to have a mix of effects. If a patient requires two or more treatments in order to regulate the levels of glucose, treatment with insulin could require.
Sulfonylureas
These medications increase the release of insulin into the pancreas’ bloodstream. The following are the most popular drugs the most often because these are more likely not to trigger negative side effects:
Sulfonylureas are:
- glimepiride (Amaryl)
- glipizide (Glucotrol)
- glyburide (DiaBeta, Micronase, Glynase)
The more old less well-known sulfonylureas:
- chlorpropamide (Diabinese)
- tolazamide (Tolinase)
- tolbutamide (Orinase)
Nowadays doctors prescribe sulfonylureas much less frequently than earlier. This is due to the fact that they result in very low blood sugar which can cause health issues.
Meglitinides
Meglitinides can also boost insulin secretion. They may also increase the efficiency of the body’s release of insulin in the course of eating, and include:
- nateglinide (Starlix)
- repaglinide (Prandin)
Biguanides
Biguanides enhance the effects of insulin. They lower the amount of glucose that the liver releases into the blood.
They also boost the blood glucose’s absorption into the cells.
Metformin’s name is the sole biguanide licensed that is licensed in the United States, in the form of Glucophage Glucophage XR, Glumetza, Riomet along with Fortamet.
Thiazolidinediones
Thiazolidinediones decrease tissue resistance against the insulin effects. They’ve linked with severe side effects, and they should be monitored for security issues. Heart failure sufferers shouldn’t take these drugs that include.
- pioglitazone (Actos)
- rosiglitazone (Avandia)
Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors
Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors make carbohydrates digeste and then absorbed slowly. The result is a decrease in glucose levels in the blood after meals.
- acarbose (Precose)
- miglitol (Glyset)
Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors
Sodium-glucose-co-transporter 2. (SGLT2) inhibitors result in the body exchanging more glucose through the bloodstream. They can also result in some weight loss. This could be beneficial for people with Type 2 Diabetes.
- canagliflozin (Invokana)
- dapagliflozin (Farxiga)
- empagliflozin (Jardiance)
- ertugliflozin (Steglatro)
Incretin mimetics
Incretin mimetics are medications that mimic the hormone incretin that stimulates the release of insulin after meals. They include:
- exenatide (Byetta, Bydureon)
- liraglutide (Victoza)
- dulaglutide (Trulicity)
- lixisenatide (Adlyxin)
- semaglutide (Ozempic)
Alternatives
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved bromocriptine, an ergot alkaloid (Cycloset) to treat Type 2 Diabetes.
Doctors rarely prescribe or recommend this medication.
The use of bile acid sequestrants is to lower cholesterol levels but they also can help keep blood sugar levels steady.
Certain medications can help in preventing the complications of diabetes.
To manage the issue of high blood pressure a physician might suggest ACE antagonists or inhibitors of angiotensin II. These medications also aid in preventing kidney complications caused by diabetes.
It is possible to reduce the risk of cardiovascular complications associated with diabetes, including stroke and heart disease by taking statins that lower cholesterol levels. They can also take a low-dose aspirin a day, as long as their physician suggests it.
Losing weight is an important aspect of managing diabetes and prevention. The doctor may recommend medications to aid in this, as well, if lifestyle changes haven’t led to improvement.
- Lorcaserin (Belviq) is a pill that enhances the feeling of fullness after eating and aids in treating the weight gain that is often associated with diabetes.
- Phentermine as well as topiramate (Qsymia) is a combination medication that curbs appetite and is a regulated treatment for weight gain.
Current guidelines call for doctors to assess the individual’s circumstances and recommend the most appropriate approach to the person.
For people suffering from heart disease
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (CVD) the guidelines for 2018 recommend adding the following to the treatment to prevent hyperglycemic symptoms:
- sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2)
- or glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RA)
For patients with type 2 diabetes or atherosclerosis CVD or heart disease, or an increased chance of heart failure doctors are required to prescribe:
- sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors
Persistent kidney diseases, guidelines advise doctors to think about using:
- a sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor
- or glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist
