Diabetes is children’s third most common chronic illness, following asthma and epilepsy. Recently, the overall prevalence of diabetes in adults and children increased dramatically. If you have Type 2 diabetes, you certainly are not alone.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one out of ten people in the US has diabetes. However, despite considerable improvement in diabetes treatment over the past 20 years, fewer than half of those with diabetes achieve their blood pressure sugar goals. This may be because doctors can be slow to make possible changes to a patient’s antidiabetic treatment plan, even when a patient’s treatment goals are not being achieved. One reason for this may be the large number of medications currently available. And, of course, waiting too long to adjust Type 2 diabetes medications can have long-lasting negative effects on the body that may increase the risk of kidney, heart, and other complications.
Most antidiabetic agents effectively lower blood sugar
In many people, diet and exercise are insufficient to reach this goal, and one or more antidiabetic medicines may be required. Metformin is a clinically tested diabetic medicine that has been used for many decades to treat type 2 diabetes and is recommended by most experts as first-line therapy. It is also considered the best prediabetes medication. It is quite affordable, effective, safe, and well-tolerated by most people. When metformin cannot control blood sugar, another medicine must be added to the treatment regimen.
Generally, for people with a low risk of heart disease or who have no history of renal insufficiency associated with diabetes, most diabetes medicines that are combined with metformin effectively control blood sugar.
Buying Tips: Choosing Right Antidiabetic Medicine
There are numerous options when you and your doctor have yet to decide the best way to control your blood sugar. Insulin and other diabetes drugs, including shots and tablets like Januvia 100 mg can help keep your blood sugar level in a healthy range. So, which one is right for you?
Here are a few things you and your doctor will consider when you are choosing a treatment:
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- Your blood glucose levels – If they remain too high for too long, you are at risk for complications of diabetes, like kidney disease or eye problems. If your blood sugar is above where it should be, your healthcare provider may add another sugar medicine to your treatment plan or increase your dose to help you reach the healthy range.
- How long you have been living with diabetes – If you have had the condition for more than ten years, some sugar tablets may not help you. But if you just have been diagnosed with the condition, your doctor will not prescribe insulin as a first treatment. You may be prescribed with diabetes tablets to control your sugar levels. Also, your treatment plan may change because some medicines get less effective the longer you take them.
- Other health problems – Some conditions you might be suffering from, along with diabetes, can affect how well your medications control your blood sugar, including high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, and heart disease.
Diabetes medicines
Different medicines used in diabetes have unique properties; patients should strictly follow the dosing regimen prescribed by the doctor. Most of the medicines used in diabetes are prescription medicines and can only be sold from a reliable drugstore under the supervision of a health care provider. Medicines can be classified into two categories: insulin injection and antidiabetic drugs.
Insulin injections
Insulin injection lowers blood glucose levels by supplementing the insulin of diabetic patients. Insulin shots can be given to both type 1 and type II diabetes. Insulin shots are also a part of Gestational diabetes treatments. These shots are usually given along with antidiabetic drugs when treating Type II diabetes.
Antidiabetic agents
Except for insulin, all other antidiabetic agents are only used to treat type II diabetes. Different types of antidiabetic agents can lower blood glucose through different pharmacological actions. Therefore, they are linked with different side effects and handling precautions.
Commonly, antidiabetic agents are prescribed under the following categories:
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- Biguanides (metformin)
- Thiazolidinedione (rosiglitazone, pioglitazone)
- Sulfonylureas (gliclazide, glimepiride, tolbutamide, glipizide)
- Meglitinide (Nateglinide, repaglinide)
- Alpha glucosidase inhibitor (acarbose)
- DDP-4 inhibitor (sitagliptin or Januvia 100 mg, vildagliptin)
- Incretin mimetic (exenatide)
Conclusion
So, how do you choose the best medicine for diabetes? Everyone with diabetes has their own goals, requirements, and preferences. Before choosing a medicine like Januvia 100 mg, it is important to get answers to relevant questions like: Is my blood glucose level appropriate? Is this antidiabetic agent affordable? Do I have kidney or heart problems? What are the adverse effects? Is it an oral tablet or injectable drug, and how often is it used? Your doctor will help you decide the best medicine for diabetes type 2.
Regardless of which treatment is chosen, the American Diabetes Association standards of care recommend reassessment of diabetes control every three to six months, followed by modifications to treatment if required.
