Taking medication is a tedious affair for those suffering from Type 2 diabetes. Tablets or injections have to be taken at specific times before or after meals.
Metabolic surgery
Those who are not responding to oral medication have to inject insulin and those for whom insulin does work have to go for metabolic surgery.
This is the downward spiral that is ahead of Type 2 patients, as of now. Research is coming out with medication that will make the routine of taking medication less gruelling. High on the list of new molecules that are going to make things a little easier for Type 2 patients are SGLT2 inhibitors. Sodium-Glucose Linked Transporter (SGLT) proteins transport glucose (sugar). SGLT1 proteins are found in the intestinal mucosa and SGLT2 are found in the renal tubules in the kidneys.
Energy conservation
Evolutionarily, animals which lacked a steady supply of food developed an elegant system for maximising energy conservation and storage. Along with reducing the activity of the neurological endocrine system to slow down metabolism and conserve energy, a method to increase the reabsorption of excess glucose removed from urine by the kidneys was also developed.
SGLT2 inhibitors block the reabsorption of glucose from urine.
Overabundant supply of glucose
Majority of Type 2 patients have an overabundant supply of glucose from the food they eat and the system no longer needs reabsorption. Talking them would delay the Type 2 patients from being upgraded to insulin.
City based endocrinologist Kota Sunil Kumar said that SGLT2 Inhibitors would available to patients soon. Another development in treating Type 2 patients was long-acting insulin. They would provide relief to patients because these injections work for up to two days (48 hours). Currently the so-called long-acting insulin works for duration of 26 hours only.
Dr Sunil Kumar said that taking Incretins, a group of metabolic hormones that stimulate a decrease in blood glucose levels by increasing insulin production, was a newer therapy.
Incretins can be taken orally or through injection once a week.
Beneficial effects
Dr Sunil Kumar, in a guest lecture delivered to the North Eastern Diabetes Society (NEDS) last week, said that Incretins had a wide range of beneficial effects including weight loss, lesser chances of developing hypoglycaemia and reduction of blood pressure.
Consuming Incretins, a group of metabolic hormones that stimulate a decrease in blood glucose levels by increasing insulin production, is a newer therapy. Incretins can be taken orally or through injection once a week.
Kota Sunil Kumar
Endocrinologist
