Women S Issues

 Drugs For Diabetes

Persons with Type 2 diabetes are typically treated with oral medications, which are listed in five classifications. They are formulated to either increase the amount of insulin the body produces naturally, the effectiveness of how insulin works in the body or controls how the sugar is absorbed into the cells. Most diabetes drugs have few side effects, but all synthetic medications may create an adverse response in some patients and all side effects should be reported to the doctor. One of the earliest diabetes drugs developed is sulfonylurea, developed to help the body produce more insulin. This class of drug has been in use since the mid-1900’s and has relatively few side effects.

Biguanides are a class of diabetes drugs usually prescribed to patients who are overweight. The most common brand name of this class of drug is Metformin and prompts the body to use the available insulin more effectively. These drugs have been known to cause nausea and diarrhea in some Alpha-glycosidase inhibitors slow the absorption of insulin into the digestive tract, giving it time to help glucose find its way into the body’s cells. Stomach and bowel problems are possible side effects of these diabetes drugs. Biguanides which reduces the glucose amount that is being produced by liver. Metformin is the common drug under this class. Metformin is more useful for obese diabetics because it can diminish the excretion of glucose and it also suppresses appetite.

How metformin increases insulin action is not known. In addition to suppression of hepatic glucose output, increased insulin-mediated glucose utilization in peripheral tissues (such as muscle and liver), particularly after meals, an antilipolytic effect that lowers serum free fatty acid concentrations, thereby reducing substrate availability for gluconeogenesis, have been demonstrated.

Combination of Sulfonylurea and Biguanide which became available just recently. Before, patients are taking these two separately; nowadays, one tablet with the combination of these drugs is effective in encouraging patient's compliance. Metformin and Glyburide are common examples of these drugs