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The first line of treatment for type 2 diabetes is a change in
diet and exercise. For many patients newly diagnosed with the
disease, going on a diabetic diet and exercising every day will be
all it takes to get the diabetes under control. Control of the level
of sugar in the blood is the desired outcome, or what is meant by
“under control.” You want to minimize any elevations in that number
without crossing into the territory of rendering it too low.
If these measures fail to control the elevated blood sugars, oral
medications are prescribed. If oral medications are still
insufficient in keeping the levels normal, the next step in diabetes
treatment is insulin, usually by injection. For type 1 diabetes,
insulin is usually necessary from the beginning of treatment.
Treatments for both types of diabetes include diet and exercise
because the goal is for the patient to lose weight. It is necessary
to decrease body mass in order to increase the body’s sensitivity to
insulin. For blood sugar levels to remain stable, the body needs to
use the insulin it is producing. If diet and exercise do not work
and the blood sugar levels are not stabilized, the next step in
diabetes treatment is medication.
A doctor needs to assess the patient and decide which type of
medicine would work best for that patient. Diabetes meds do one or
more of these four things: increase insulin production, decrease the
liver’s release of glucose, increase the reaction of the body to
insulin, or decrease the absorption of sugars by the intestinal
walls. If the medication does not work for that patient, insulin
treatment is the next step.
In all phases of all diabetes treatments, it is important that
the patient stay on a diet and exercise regime. Weight loss and
fitness provide the best result in any diabetes treatment plan and a
healthy lifestyle is the best defense against heart disease, high
blood pressure and stroke.
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