WORLD OF SCIENCE
Treating diabetes
DR. T. V. PADMA
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Once diagnosed with a particular type of diabetes, treatment begins.
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Treatment usually includes three components: medication, diet, and exercise.
Type I diabetics usually need to take insulin. These days, insulin is synthetically produced; in the past, it was extracted from animals. Insulin needs to be injected into the blood, because if it is ingested orally, the body tends to break it down and treat it like any other protein.
Since type II diabetics produce some insulin, they usually don't need to take insulin. Instead, they take oral medicines that help their bodies to either better utilise the insulin they produce, or produce more insulin. There are three main types of oral medications: sulphonyl ureas (is the oldest of the three medications), glitazone, and metaformin (the newest of the three medications). Each type of medication lowers blood glucose, but each has a unique mechanism of action.
Risk and relief
Medications undoubtedly cause relief, but like all medications, there are risks and side effects. If diabetics take too much insulin or oral medication, glucose levels in the blood can fall too much — to levels below that which is normal. This is known as hypoglycemia or insulin reaction, and it can be a dangerous condition. It can also set in when a diabetic eats too little or exercises too much.
Diet and exercise, which are usually part of a diabetic's regimen, are also the best ways we know of to prevent onset of the disease in the first place. There is much debate about whether proper diet actually delays onset or not - but even if it doesn't, a healthy diet and exercise are highly beneficial in many ways. As the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure.
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