What Insulin Medications Are Approved To Treat Diabetes
There are many types of insulins for diabetes. If you need insulin, you healthcare team will discuss the different types and if they are to be combined with oral medications. To follow is a brief review of insulin types.
- Rapid-acting insulins: These insulins are taken 15 minutes before meals, they peak at one hour and work for another two to four hours. Examples include insulin glulisine , insulin lispro and insulin aspart .
- Short-acting insulins: These insulins take about 30 minutes to reach your bloodstream, reach their peak effects in two to three hours and last for three to six hours. An example is insulin regular .
- Intermediate-acting insulins: These insulins reach your bloodstream in two to four hours, peak in four to 12 hours and work for up to 18 hours. An example in NPH.
- Long-acting insulins: These insulins work to keep your blood sugar stable all day. Usually, these insulins last for about 18 hours. Examples include insulin glargine , insulin detemir and insulin degludec .
There are insulins that are a combination of different insulins. There are also insulins that are combined with a GLP-1 receptor agonist medication .
Why Is My Blood Glucose Level High How Does This Happen
The process of digestion includes breaking down the food you eat into various different nutrient sources. When you eat carbohydrates , your body breaks this down into sugar . When glucose is in your bloodstream, it needs help a “key” to get into its final destination where it’s used, which is inside your body’s cells . This help or “key” is insulin.
Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas, an organ located behind your stomach. Your pancreas releases insulin into your bloodstream. Insulin acts as the key that unlocks the cell wall door, which allows glucose to enter your bodys cells. Glucose provides the fuel or energy tissues and organs need to properly function.
If you have diabetes:
- Your pancreas doesnt make any insulin or enough insulin.
Or
- Your pancreas makes insulin but your bodys cells dont respond to it and cant use it as it normally should.
If glucose cant get into your bodys cells, it stays in your bloodstream and your blood glucose level rises.
Can Medications Help If You Have Prediabetes
Even though some people reverse prediabetes with lifestyle changes, this isnt enough for everyone.
If your blood sugar doesnt improve and youre at high risk for developing diabetes, your doctor might prescribe medication.
Medications to help lower blood sugar and reverse prediabetes include or a similar drug.
Metformin has been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes by up to
How Can I Prevent Or Delay Getting Type 2 Diabetes
If you are at risk for diabetes, you may be able to prevent or delay getting it. Most of the things that you need to do involve having a healthier lifestyle. So if you make these changes, you will get other health benefits as well. You may lower your risk of other diseases, and you will probably feel better and have more energy. The changes are
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
What Are The Different Types Of Diabetes
The types of diabetes are:
- Type 1 diabetes: This type is an autoimmune disease, meaning your body attacks itself. In this case, the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas are destroyed. Up to 10% of people who have diabetes have Type 1. Its usually diagnosed in children and young adults . It was once better known as juvenile diabetes. People with Type 1 diabetes need to take insulin every day. This is why it is also called insulin-dependent diabetes.
- Type 2 diabetes: With this type, your body either doesnt make enough insulin or your bodys cells dont respond normally to the insulin. This is the most common type of diabetes. Up to 95% of people with diabetes have Type 2. It usually occurs in middle-aged and older people. Other common names for Type 2 include adult-onset diabetes and insulin-resistant diabetes. Your parents or grandparents may have called it having a touch of sugar.
- This type is the stage before Type 2 diabetes. Your blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be officially diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
- Gestational diabetes: This type develops in some women during their pregnancy. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after pregnancy. However, if you have gestational diabetes you’re at higher risk of developing Type 2 diabetes later on in life.
Less common types of diabetes include:
Diabetes insipidus is a distinct rare condition that causes your kidneys to produce a large amount of urine.
What Oral Medications Are Approved To Treat Diabetes
Over 40 medications have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of diabetes. Its beyond the scope of this article to review all of these drugs. Instead, well briefly review the main drug classes available, how they work and present the names of a few drugs in each class. Your healthcare team will decide if medication is right for you. If so, theyll decide which specific drug are best to treat your diabetes.
Diabetes medication drug classes include:
Many oral diabetes medications may be used in combination or with insulin to achieve the best blood glucose control. Some of the above medications are available as a combination of two medicines in a single pill. Others are available as injectable medications, for example, the GLP-1 agonist semaglutide and lixisenatide .
Always take your medicine exactly as your healthcare prescribes it. Discuss your specific questions and concerns with them.
How Can I Lower My Chances Of Developing Type 2 Diabetes
Research such as the Diabetes Prevention Program shows that you can do a lot to reduce your chances of developing type 2 diabetes. Here are some things you can change to lower your risk:
- Lose weight and keep it off. You may be able to prevent or delay diabetes by losing 5 to 7 percent of your starting weight.1 For instance, if you weigh 200 pounds, your goal would be to lose about 10 to 14 pounds.
- Move more. Get at least 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week. If you have not been active, talk with your health care professional about which activities are best. Start slowly to build up to your goal.
- Eat healthy foods most of the time. Eat smaller portions to reduce the amount of calories you eat each day and help you lose weight. Choosing foods with less fat is another way to reduce calories. Drink water instead of sweetened beverages.
Ask your health care professional about what other changes you can make to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes.
Most often, your best chance for preventing type 2 diabetes is to make lifestyle changes that work for you long term. Get started with Your Game Plan to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes.
You Are At Higher Risk Of Prediabetes If You Are:
- Over 45 years old
- Do not get much exercise or are sedentary
- Have a family history of
- Are African American, Native American, Hispanic/Latino, or Pacific Islander
- Are overweight or obese
- Have high bad LDL cholesterol or high triglycerides, or low good HDL cholesterol
What these have in common is that you can improve them with diet, either eating better or having a planned diet for your prediabetes.
Many people with prediabetes eventually get type 2 diabetes, but heres a secret: it doesnt always have to happen, prediabetes is reversible, which is why it is called borderline diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association shows that you can prevent or delay type 2 diabetes in large part by following a healthy diet for prediabetes no gimmicks necessary.
Awareness of prediabetes could be the best thing that ever happened to you. It gives you the chance to find a good diet for prediabetes that works for your health and for your lifestyle. The Lark Diabetes Prevention Program is an award-winning mobile health program that over 100,000 Americans have used to help prevent Diabetes. Its provided free of charge by many health plans.
Once you decide to make those healthy changes, you are more likely to succeed with a support system that works for you, and a health app could be what you need for information and accountability.
The Dpp Diet And Coaching For Prediabetes
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, have developed a program with diet and lifestyle changes that has been shown among prediabetes patients to reduce the risk of developing diabetes by over 50%. This program is the Diabetes Prevention Program, or DPP.
The Lark Diabetes Prevention Program is an award-winning mobile health program that over 100,000 Americans have used to help prevent Diabetes. Its provided free of charge by many health plans.
Lark helps with tracking weight, food, and exercise, and customizes the program according to preferences such as low-carb, gluten-free, or vegan.
Larks prediabetes diet recommendations are consistent with the DPP and include recommendations based off evidence from diets such as the DASH diet and Mediterranean patterns. Your Lark coach, for example, might suggest:
- Choosing fruit instead of dessert.
- Steaming, baking, or grilling instead of frying.
- Using olive oil instead of butter or shortening.
- Trying plant-based or fish sometimes instead of red meat.
- Enjoying your meals and having them in a pleasant environment.
Balanced DPP Healthy Diet for Prediabetes
Foods to Emphasize
- Fatty red meat and poultry with skin
- Solid fats
- Refined grains
- Sweets
- Sugar-sweetened beverages,
- Alcoholic beverages and mixed drinks
- Sugar-sweetened foods, such as flavored yogurt and oatmeal, and sugary condiments
- Dried fruit and fruit juice
Cons
Simple Steps To Lowering Your Risk
Control your weight
Excess weight is the single most important cause of type 2 diabetes. Being overweight increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes seven-fold. Being obese makes you 20 to 40 times more likely to develop diabetes than someone with a healthy weight.
Losing weight can help if your weight is above the healthy-weight range. Losing 7-10% of your current weight can cut your chances of developing type 2 diabetes in half.
Get movingand turn off the television
Inactivity promotes type 2 diabetes. Working your muscles more often and making them work harder improves their ability to use insulin and absorb glucose. This puts less stress on your insulin-making cells. So trade some of your sit-time for fit-time.
Long bouts of hot, sweaty exercise arent necessary to reap this benefit. Findings from the Nurses Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study suggest that walking briskly for a half hour every day reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 30%. More recently, The Black Womens Health Study reported similar diabetes-prevention benefits for brisk walking of more than 5 hours per week. This amount of exercise has a variety of other benefits as well. And even greater cardiovascular and other advantages can be attained by more, and more intense, exercise.
Tune Up Your Diet
Four dietary changes can have a big impact on the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Dont smoke
Light to moderate alcohol consumption
Type 2 Diabetes Prevention Overview
Leading doctors and researchers point to excessive levels of insulin as the likely reason why insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes develops.
Strategies such as low-carb diets and exercise help to reduce levels of insulin and are therefore effective for preventing type 2 diabetes from developing.
There are a number of risk factors for diabetes, some of which are preventable, such as weight gain around the middle , high cholesterol/triglyceride levels and high blood pressure
Losing weight, adopting more activity into your day, stopping and reducing alcohol intake can also help towards lowering the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus and improving your all-round health.
Importance Of Early Diagnosis
An early diagnosis may help prevent complications.
Recognizing the early signs of type 2 diabetes can allow a person to get a diagnosis and treatment sooner. Getting appropriate treatment, making lifestyle changes, and controlling blood sugar levels can greatly improve a persons health and quality of life and reduce the risk of complications.
Without treatment, persistently high blood sugar levels can lead to severe and sometimes life-threatening complications, including:
- kidney disease, which can result in a person needing dialysis
- eye disease or loss of vision
- sexual problems in both men and women
Untreated diabetes can also lead to hyperosmolar hyperglycemic nonketotic syndrome , which causes a severe and persistent increase in blood sugar levels. An illness or infection will usually trigger HHNS, which can require hospitalization. This sudden complication tends to affect older people.
Keeping blood sugar levels under control is crucial for preventing some of these complications. The longer that blood sugar levels remain uncontrolled, the higher the risk of other health problems.
Anyone can develop type 2 diabetes, but certain factors can increase a persons risk. These risk factors :
- being 45 years of age or older
- living a sedentary lifestyle
What Are The Symptoms And Complications Of Diabetes Seen In Pregnancy
Diabetes during can be a risk to the mother as well as the fetus, if uncontrolled. Hence, it is necessary to control and monitor the blood sugar level during pregnancy.
The common symptoms seen in gestational diabetes are:
- Increased thirst
The complications of gestational diabetes are:
- Premature delivery
- problems in newborns
- Frequent urinary or bladder infection
Preventing Diabetes: Early Versus Late Preventive Interventions
Results Of The Pritikin Program
published on Type 2 diabetics coming to the Pritikin Longevity Center illustrate how profoundly beneficial early intervention can be. This study followed 243 people in the early stages of diabetes . Within three weeks of coming to Pritikin, their fasting glucose fell on average from 160 to 124.
have also found that the Pritikin Program reduces fasting insulin by 25 to 40% .
has found, too, that the Pritikin Program can actually reverse the Metabolic Syndrome. In 50% of adult Americans studied, the Pritikin Program reversed the clinical diagnosis of Metabolic Syndrome, and in just three weeks. In following children with the Metabolic Syndrome, 100% no longer had the syndrome within two weeks of starting the Pritikin Program.
The Stages Of Type 1 Diabetes
My daughter Bisi was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes three years ago at the age of six. The first night after she was diagnosed, once she finally fell asleep in her hospital bed, tossing and turning despite the IV in her arm, I remember standing outside in the hall with my husband and a couple of medical residents, talking with them about her diagnosis. Could this have been coming on for a while? we asked them. I described how for a couple of years, Bisi had been almost unbearably cranky when she was hungryto the point where Id asked her pediatrician more than once if something might be wrong. No, the residents told us. Type 1 diabetes comes on very suddenly, in a matter of weeks, as the bodys beta cells suddenly die out under attack from the immune system. Every doctor or nurse we spoke with during the three days in the hospital , echoed what the two residents, fresh from medical school, told us.
But it turns out they were wrong.
Insel explained that stage 1 is when people test positive for multiple pancreatic islet auto-antibodiesmeaning that the immune system has begun to attack the pancreas. In stage 2, people start processing glucose differently. While people in stage 2 are not yet experiencing the classic signs of type 1 diabetes , if given a glucose-tolerance test, their blood sugar would rise more than normal. Their A1C might also start rising above normal. (The paper explaining all this in scientific terms is:
Best Ways To Cure Diabetes Naturally In 30 Days At Home
If you are in search of how to cure diabetes naturally in 30 days without medication then you are in the right place.
No doubt, diabetes is one of the fastest spreading diseases in the world but the home remedies which are mentioned in this article will help you cure diabetes naturally in 30 days.
Before I go further into the detail of the topic let me tell you that diet and exercise are the most important things and without these, you cant control diabetes.
Table of Contents
Make Sleep A Priority
Not getting enough sleep regularly makes losing weight harder, says Theresa Garnero, author of Your First Year With Diabetes.
A shortfall also makes it harder for your body to use effectively and may make type 2 diabetes more likely.
Set good habits. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Relax before you turn out the lights. Don’t watch TV or use your computer or smartphone when you’re trying to fall asleep. Avoid after lunch if you have trouble sleeping.
Sample Diet Plans For Prediabetes
The prediabetes diet plans below and prediabetes meal plans are designed to help you lose weight, improve your blood sugar control and overall health, and be easy to follow. Each plan has about 1,200 to 1,400 calories per day. If you need more, you can add in one or more of the healthy snack options listed below the menus.
There is are one-week menus for a ketogenic diet and for a balanced, DPP-based prediabetes diet, and snacks listed for both types of diets.
Be sure to:
- Check with your doctor before starting the plan
- Modify the plan to meet your dietary needs and preferences
Low-Carb Ketogenic Prediabetes Menu
Keto Diet For Type 2 Diabetes: Does It Work
Endocrinology & Metabolism the ketogenic dietKetosis is different from diabetic ketoacidosisput diabetes in remissionDiabetes Therapydiabetes medicationrisks of the keto diethigh blood pressurehigh cholesterolInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Learn More About the Ketogenic Diet for Type 2 Diabetes
What Is Type 2 Diabetes What Causes Diabetes
There are two major forms of diabetes — type 1 and type 2. This article focuses specifically on the prevention of type 2 diabetes since there is no know way to prevent type 1 diabetes. This form of diabetes is virtually a pandemic in the United States. This information reviews the risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes and reviews key points regarding prediction of those at risk for type 2 diabetes. It also is a review of what they can do about it.
While diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar values, type 2 diabetes is also associated with a condition known as insulin resistance. Even though there is an element of impaired secretion from the beta cells of the pancreas, especially when toxic levels of glucose occur , the major defect in type 2 diabetes is the body’s inability to respond properly to insulin.
Eventually, even though the pancreas is working at its best to produce more and more insulin, the body tissues do not respond and become insensitive to the insulin. At this point, overt diabetes occurs, as the body is no longer able to effectively use its insulin to maintain normal blood levels. Over time, these high levels of sugar result in the complications we see all too often in patients with diabetes.
What Is Borderline Diabetes
Borderline diabetes is also known as a pre-diabetic phase in which your pancreas still produce enough insulin to compensate the number of carbs that you ingest, but the problem is that the insulin produced is not as active as of a healthy person meaning that your sugar level would still be high in the pre-diabetic phase. According to a survey one out of three Americans are diagnosed with the pre-diabetic phase, so if you have, it then dont worry you are not alone.
The good news is that the pre-diabetic phase doesnt mean that you would be diagnosed with diabetes type 2 for sure. It only says that your chances of getting it have increased by 5-10% as compared to a person who has healthy insulin production. According to the medical experts these chances with an increase if you do not adopt the necessary life changes.
Mediterranean Diet Pattern For Prediabetes
A Mediterranean-style diet is based on traditional eating patterns of Mediterranean countries, especially Greece, southern Italy, and Spain. This way of eating is known for its heart-healthy benefits, but research also shows that it can also help in weight loss and assist in blood sugar control.
Compared to the average American diet, a Mediterranean diet pattern generally includes more:
- Olive oil
It includes moderate consumption of poultry and fish, and less:
- Full fat dairy products
- Sweets
What Is Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome
Hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic syndrome develops more slowly than diabetic ketoacidosis. It occurs in patients with Type 2 diabetes, especially the elderly and usually occurs when patients are ill or stressed.If you have HHNS, you blood glucose level is typically greater than 600 mg/dL. Symptoms include frequent urination, drowsiness, lack of energy and dehydration. HHNS is not associated with ketones in the blood. It can cause coma or death. Youll need to be treated in the hospital.
When To See A Doctor
If you have any of the signs and symptoms of diabetes, it is important to get checked by your healthcare provider. The tests used to check for diabetes are simple blood tests. There are different screening tests available to test for diabetes and prediabetes.
- The hemoglobin A1C test is a blood test that looks at the average of your blood glucose levels over the past three months. You do not have to be fasting for this test. Its also used as a measure of diabetes management.
- The fasting blood glucose test checks your blood glucose level after not eating for eight to 12 hours, usually overnight. Its also used to monitor blood glucose levels with diabetes.
- The oral glucose tolerance test is a blood test performed after fasting overnight and then drinking a beverage provided by your doctor that is high in sugar. Blood samples are then drawn several times over two to three hours.
- The random blood glucose test is a blood test that checks your blood sugar level at a single point in time, fasting or not. Results of this test can vary widely depending on several factors, such as food intake. This test is only used for diabetes diagnosis when other classic symptoms of diabetes are also present.
What Types Of Diabetes Require Insulin
People with Type 1 diabetes need insulin to live. If you have Type 1 diabetes, your body has attacked your pancreas, destroying the cells that make insulin. If you have Type 2 diabetes, your pancreas makes insulin, but it doesnt work as it should. In some people with Type 2 diabetes, insulin may be needed to help glucose move from your bloodstream to your bodys cells where its needed for energy. You may or may not need insulin if you have gestational diabetes. If you are pregnant or have Type 2 diabetes, your healthcare provider will check your blood glucose level, assess other risk factors and determine a treatment approach which may include a combination of lifestyle changes, oral medications and insulin. Each person is unique and so is your treatment plan.
Why Diet Matters For Prediabetes
This carefully controlled system can go awry if you continually challenge your blood glucose regulation system by eating foods high in sugar, or just too much food. A common way this can happen is if you are gaining weight. With weight gain, you are consistently eating more than your body needs.
Your body will try to keep up with demands and can be successful for a long time. As your insulin resistance increases, your pancreas can produce increasing amounts of insulin to try to keep blood sugar levels in normal ranges.
Prediabetes and type 2 diabetes are conditions that develop when does not work properly in your body anymore. They develop gradually, often over years or decades, and are usually related to lifestyle factors such as diet.
Insulin is released in response to an increase in blood sugar. When you are healthy, the system works well.
If this continues, though, the system will eventually break down. At some point, your pancreas will be unable to produce enough insulin to keep up with demand.
This point, when insulin is no longer sufficient, is the point when your blood sugar levels begin to rise. You can get a blood test, and your doctor can diagnose you with or based on the result.