The latest diabetes treatment protocols and future cures
It is exciting to explore the latest diabetes treatment protocols. Some are currently changing the ways doctor address the health signs of diabetes and glucose monitoring standards. Some others are examining ways to reduce or possibly someday cure diabetes.
New medical standards to help patients
Recently the ADA (American Diabetes Association) has successfully prevailed on insurance companies to allow patients to monitor their glucose levels more frequently according to their specific needs. Old-school thought was 3 times a day was sufficient, but it failed to address the cases where a patient may have more frequent changes in their glucose levels throughout the day. Now, patients with considerable changes in their systems may test 5-6 times or even more. Patients may prefer to test at the following times for safety:
- Before all meals and snacks
- Before bedtime
- Before workouts
- Anytime they suspect their glucose has dropped below a safe range
- Before performing a critical task such as driving or using large machinery
In the past, doctors encouraged patients to get their Blood Pressure to 130/80 which is possibly attainable for younger patients or patients who are not too overweight. But for older patients who have weight challenges and other physical conditions this is not always attainable, so now doctors are encouraging their patients to work on getting their blood pressure to 140/80. This is sometimes easier for patients to accomplish. Once they do get to 140/80, they may continue toward 130/80, but 140/80 is sufficient for their needs.
Exciting treatments and possible cures on the horizon
DPP-4 inhibitors protect a natural compound in the body referred to as GLP-1. The inhibitor prevents GLP-1 from breaking down so that if can help lower blood glucose. This may be the path to helping patients keep numbers within a safe range, and could reverse some of the effects of diabetes.
Incretin mimetics or injectable GLP analogs uses the body’s own signalers to boost insulin after meals, which can help reduce that hungry feeling many diabetics experience, thus help them reduce their weight and possibly use their own body’s chemical reactions to control insulin.
Stem cell research is still in its infancy, but the possibility that the use of stem cells may help a person grow beta cells in the pancreas and thus end diabetes as we know it is an exciting thing to imagine. So far it appears to work in mice and dogs, but until the FDA clears it and congress allows embryonic stem cells to be used for human medical treatments it will remain a dream.
Islet transplants are currently used for patients with severe cases that do not appear to respond well to other medical treatments. Donor beta cells in the pancreas are implanted in the diabetic recipient, who is then able to produce insulin in relatively normal fashion. The caveat is that they will have to take anti-rejection and immunity drugs for the rest of their lives.
The Diabetic Research Institute at the University of Miami is working on an artificial mini organ that appears to work in theory and in lab experiments. It is still in its infancy and will need a lot of adjustments and testing before if becomes available to the millions of diabetic patients.