Treatment of Diabetes in Type II Diabetes Mellitus

Treatment of Diabetes in Type II Diabetes Mellitus

Treatment of diabetes starts with educating patient about this disease. He is also educated about symptoms related to low and high sugar levels so that he can recognise these. He is encouraged to carry a diabetes card with his medication, and the name of his doctor written on it. He is also encouraged to carry with him sugar candies etc near him to treat hypoglycemia. Home blood glucose monitoring can be taught to nearly all patients.
The various risk factors are noted and the complications if any are studied. The goal of treatment is to reduce the sugar to near normal levels to ward off complications of diabetes and reduce risk to life, vital organs while permitting a good quality of life.

Non-pharmacologic measures

To reduce risk of heart disease and stroke, weight should be reduced to normal levels. If a person is overweight (BMI ie Wt in kgs/ ht in meters squared) and BMI is between 25 to 29.9 wt can be reduced gradually to with in limits. If a person is obese BMI >30 then more urgent weight reduction is required.
A weight reduction of about 10 kgs will make a substantial difference in diabetic control

Diet

If overweight or obese calories are cut down. About 15% calories should come from proteins and < 30 % from fats. The rest of calories may be from complex carbohydrates. Simple sugars are not advisable. Sugar substitutes can be taken.
If weight does not reduce after 6 months of trial, weight reduction tablets (Orlistat) etc may be considered. In severe obesity cases bariatric surgery may be the only alternative if all else fails.

Exercise

About 150 mins of exercise in a week is recommended. Aerobic exercises are preferred though in younger patients who do not have heart disease or advanced diabetic retinopathy weight lifting twice a week is encouraged.
The exercise should be done on most days of the week and be sufficiently vigorous to be of cardiac benefit.

Smoking

Smoking is a huge risk factor for heart disease. Since diabetes itself is a high-risk state for angina and myocardial infarction continued smoking increased the risk manifold. Smoking should be stopped totally to reduce this risk.
Drugs are required in nearly all cases for sugar control. More about drugs later.

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