Diabetes Treatment: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

Q - What diabetes treatment options are available?

A - At present there are three(3) main options for treating diabetes.

1. Lifestyle modification - This includes dietary changes and exercise.
2. Insulin injections.
3. Diabetic pills.

Q - Do they provide a cure for diabetes?

A - None of them are able to cure diabetes. They attempt to normalize blood sugar levels. The more successful you are at keeping your blood sugar level within the normal range, the more normal your life will be. High blood sugar levels are responsible for many of the complications of diabetes and a lot of work is being done to find a cure that's suitable for use.

Q - If there is no cure, then what is the aim of diabetes treatment?

A - The aim of any diabetes treatment programme is to:

1. Keep the blood glucose level within the normal range.
And
2. Prevent complications from developing, identifying them early if they do come and treating immediately.

When blood sugar is kept within the normal limits, fewer complications arise.

Q - How do the different diabetes treatments work?

A -

• Insulin - When insulin is given to a diabetic, it enables the cells in the body to absorb and utilize glucose from the blood. This keeps the blood glucose within the normal range. It is given to people with type 1 diabetes because their bodies can no longer produce insulin in sufficient amounts. The insulin given can be extracted from pigs or cows or it could be produced in laboratories by genetically modified cells. Insulin produced in this way is identical to human insulin. Learn more on diabetes treatment using insulin.
• Diabetic pills - Diabetes pills work in different ways: Some stimulate the cells of the pancreas to produce more insulin, others decrease the absorption of glucose into the blood from the intestines, and another group has the ability to change some metabolic processes in the body such that the level of glucose in the blood is reduced. These pills are given to people with type 2 diabetes to enable them keep their blood glucose within the normal range. Learn more about diabetes pills.
• Diet - A diabetic diet works by preventing elevations of blood sugar level while at the same time providing the important nutrients in the right proportions. In people with pre-diabetes, a healthy diet in combination with exercise can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes. More on diabetes diets.
• Exercise - Exercise helps in weight loss. This has been shown to reduce the possibilities of people developing type 2 diabetes from pre-diabetes. Exercise has also been associated with an increase in the number of insulin receptors found in the cells of the body.

Q - How Will I know if the treatment is working?

A - Regular estimation of your blood sugar level is important to assess the success or failure of treatment. Treatment is successful when you your fasting plasma glucose level is below 126mg/dl. Another test done is the HbA1c estimation. This measures the quality of glucose control over the past 3 - 4 months. An average value of 7% is considered normal. 9% and above indicate poor glycaemic control.

Q - Who is responsible for providing diabetes treatment?

A - In most cases your doctor will be responsible for providing treatments and advice. However, because of the complex nature of diabetes, teams of professionals in different fields related to diabetic care are being constituted by many hospitals. These teams are usually supervised by the doctor and are responsible for comprehensive diabetes care.

Q - Are there new ways of treating diabetes?

A - New methods of treating diabetes are continually being sought. Some of these methods are being employed on a small scale and are yielding good results in SOME (but not all) cases. Some methods worth mentioning are Islet cells transplant, pancreatic tissue transplant and genetic modification of fat cells to produce insulin.

There is also a growing interest in natural remedies for diabetes. Some of these are just food supplements while some are plant extracts. Different companies make different claims of different natures. Don't believe all you read about these natural remedies because in many instances there is no regulating body that verifies such claims. Always discuss with your doctor before you take any of these supplements.

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