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Early medication treatment helps preserve health in diabetics

Category: Diabetes

Intensive treatment starting soon after diagnosis may help diabetics achieve healthier blood test results for glucose levels, when compared to those of delayed treatment, according to a new study published in the journal Diabetes Care.

In most cases, people who have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes are advised to improve their diet or increase their physical activity levels. These lifestyle factors play a major role in blood glucose levels.

But Ildiko Lingvay, the UT Southwestern Medical Center researcher who led the study, said this approach simple exposes diabetics to high glucose levels for an extended period of time, which may be harmful to health.

In the current study, the researchers administered several different medications to a group of individuals who were recently diagnosed with diabetes. The initial purpose was to see which medication worked the best.

The results showed that every medication used in the study helped people reach near-normal blood sugar levels. After six years, this helped the participants maintain greater function in their pancreas, which produces insulin, than would be expected in diabetics.