A new treatment for diabetes

05/22/2008

More and more Filipinos today are suffering from diabetes regardless of age. This is mainly because Filipino lifestyle has changed over the past years. With poor health management, there is higher risk of diabetes.

Diabetes as a serious problem

Diabetes has two types: type 1 and type 2. Both types can be characterized with a high blood sugar level (hypoglycemia), insulin resistance and increased glucose production by the liver. The type-one diabetes affects mostly young children, and it can even affect the newborn child. People with type-one diabetes have difficulty producing insulin. For their lifetime, people need to have a constant supply of insulin.

Type-two diabetes is the most common and it affects the older people. It is characterized by high blood sugar that can give rise to other complications. It is very dangerous if ignored. Type-one diabetics are dependent on insulin because the hormone is no longer produced in the body, whereas type-two diabetics are insulin resistant or have low insulin level. A supply of insulin may be needed to control blood sugar.

Insulin is a kind of hormone in the body that is released in response to high blood glucose level. According to Dr. Araceli Panelo, executive director of the Institute for the Studies of Diabetes Foundation (ISDF), type-two diabetes today is even affecting the young school-aged children because of the “changing environment” with a lifestyle patterned after the Western culture. It is even affecting a lot of Filipinos today. If left untreated, serious complications and even death caused primarily by heart attack or stroke can happen.

Dr. Panelo further said that in a study conducted by the International Diabetes Federation, there will be about 333 million diabetics in the world by 2025. This means that there can be an increase of 72 percent from 2003 to 2025. This increase may be brought about by cases in the developing countries.

In Asia, there will be about 91 percent increase in the number of diabetics. According to another study, Dr. Panelo added, the Philippines will be among the top 10 with the most number of diabetics by the year 2030.

The danger of type-two diabetes

Type-two diabetes has complications. By the time a person is diagnosed, complications due to tissue damage have already occurred. The complications for this type of diabetes include blindness, hypertension, renal diseases, cardiovascular diseases, nerve damage, problems in the reproductive system, a higher risk of infection, stroke, a reduced quality of life and even depression. The type 2 diabetes is a “progressive disease,” and it will always be present that is why there is a need for maintenance and adjustments in medication. A patient also needs to constantly monitor its blood glucose level, blood pressure and control cholesterol. Persons affected with the type 2 diabetes are usually overweight and they need to have constant exercise, proper medication and a lot of self-control and later, a supply of insulin. This type, however, is hereditary so one may become a candidate for type 2 diabetes because of genetics.

Proper treatment and medication

A lot of factors contribute to the occurrence of diabetes that is why proper treatment and medication should be practiced. Aside from living a healthy lifestyle, demanding health maintenance is definitely needed to prevent hospitalization and manage the risk factors. The common treatment for a type 2 diabetic patient includes insulin sensitizer that helps available insulin work since type 2 diabetics are insulin resistant and agents that delay the carbohydrates absorption. The insulin sensitizer includes Metformin (MET) and Thiazolidinediones (TZDs) and these increase the ability of the glucose to go into the muscles and fat cells which is not happening in type 2 diabetics. Another treatment is composed of agents that work to delay the carbohydrates absorption and these are insulin Secretagogues and the alpha-glucosidase inhibitors. These two are taken before a regular meal for a proper glucose disposal.

However, there is need for a medication that will manage the production of glucose without hypoglycemia and weight gain. There are DPP-4 inhibitors like Sitagliptin (januvia) that work to regulate the glucose in the body and are used in combination with some other agents like MET and TZDs to improve the blood sugar. However, there is a new drug that is a combination of Sitagliptin and Metformin (JANUMET- Januvia and Metformin) that can lower the blood sugar levels and has fewer or no side effects. According to Dr. Sjoberg Kho, endocrinologist and consultant at the UST hospital, the Janumet compliment each other since it lowers the glucose production while stimulating the pancreas for insulin. It is also well tolerated and prevents weight gain and it does not increase the risk of hypoglycemia.

Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), a global research-driven pharmaceutical company, helps in the development of new medicines and vaccines for the unmet medical needs. The company is responsible in the development of this new drug for those who suffer in diabetes and aims to bring hope to patients who are suffering from unwanted complications and depressions. Recently, MSD launched a new drug that will be of greater help to Filipinos with diabetes.

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