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‘Alternative medicines complicate diabetes management’

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The increasing use of complementary or alternative medicines and therapies by those with diabetes, often to the exclusion of prescribed conventional medication, has been complicating diabetes management, doctors report.

Most of the alternative medicines that have found favour with the diabetic population belong to the nutritional supplements and herbal medicines group. These apart, many patients also try out a host of so-called natural remedies which are supposed to have blood sugar lowering properties.

Doctors say people might be complicating their diabetes management by this tendency for self-medication and that many of the expensive food and herbal supplements available for diabetes patients in the market have no scientific validation.

Those using alternative medicines for diabetes do not discuss it with their treating physician and might even be ignoring the conventional modalities for diabetes management. “Diabetes management rests on four basic factors — control of blood sugar levels, blood pressure, cholesterol and body weight — and the rest have only a cosmetic role. Herbal drugs and food supplements may not specify all ingredients on the label and are better avoided unless prescribed by the treating doctor. One also should not assume that anything natural is safe,” a leading physician in the city said.

However people here are known to complicate their diabetes management by going from one physician to another and by switching or mixing various medicinal systems. And the biggest danger results from patients not disclosing to their doctors, the facts about any alternative medicines or herbal supplements that they might be taking, along with or to the exclusion of their prescribed drugs.

Dangers of side effects and drug interactions should be kept in mind by every patient. Some herbal medicines may interfere with the prescribed medications and can lead to renal complications. Those patients who are already on blood sugar-lowering medications might be doing more harm than good by additionally taking herbs or plant foods like fenugreek which are known to have some effect on blood sugar levels.

“People should understand that there is no blanket treatment for diabetes. Every patient needs different management strategy based on individual parameters and other associated diseases,” he said.

Every diabetic patient should aim at achieving certain targets. These are, blood pressure levels less than 130/80; fasting blood sugar levels < 90 mg/dl, postprandial (after meals) value < 180 mg/dl; LDL < 100 mg/dl, HDL > 40 mg/dl, triglyceride < 150 mg/dl and BMI < 23.

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