Sunday, November 27, 2011

Diabetes: New treatments

Diabetes: New treatments, tips and moreGood Housekeeping India, 
By Kavita Devgan,
Updated: 27/11/2011
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Insulin remains the basic way to tackle diabetes, but new research is underway to create better medication for this rapidly growing disease.

Dr Dheeraj Kapoor, senior endocrinologist, Artemis Health Institute, Gurgaon, lists out some of the latest medicines:


Gliptin (Oral) - Take once or twice a day as prescribed by the doctor. This medication is the flavour of season. Studies conducted on Gliptin (a new class of oral drugs for type 2 diabetes) have shown that it can regenerate pancreas in mice. However, a study on humans is still underway. If this comes through, it will prove to be a big breakthrough in the treatment of diabetes.

GLP-1 (Injectable) - To be taken once or twice a day as prescribed by the doctor, this is slightly more potent than Gliptin. It is also known to induce weight loss as it triggers a feeling of satiety and patients tend to eat less. On the downside, it is expensive and can lead to nausea. Approximate cost - Rs 3,600 for one month's dose.

SGLT-2 (Inhibitors) - Expected to hit the Indian market next year, it prevents reabsorbing of glucose from the kidneys.

Must know facts

In India, 51 million people suffer from the disease  Read on to know the latest on the ailment that largely targets urban women.

The latest statistics on NCDs (non-communicable diseases) are alarming. But among the growing incidences, diabetes is the most widespread, and primarily among women. Here's another startling fact: Earlier, it was women above 35 years of age who were prone to the disease, but of late, the age parameters have changed drastically, with women in their early 20s testing positive, points out Dr Ashok Jhingan, chairman, consultant and diabetologist, Delhi Diabetes Research Centre.

What the figures say

The latest statistics presented by the Public Health Foundation of India at a recent conference on " Chronic NCDs in India" put "indolent" lifestyles of urban people as the prime culprit. It was revealed that almost 29 percent urban adults do not indulge in physical activities; the women are more prone to this deasease than men (about 24 percent of men and almost 34 percent of women don't exercise regularly). The trend is pronounced in people who are 45 or above.

Catching it on time

A recent study which was conducted by Dr Ashutosh Shukla, who is the head of internal medicine, Artemis Health Institute, Gurgaon, revealed, that out of 300 patients who underwent an executive health check up, 45 had IGT (Impaired Glucose Intolerance) or pre-diabetes. Despite having obvious symptoms such as increased appetite, constant thirst and high urine formation, around 95 percent of patients only get to know they are suffering from diabetes when it has reached an advanced stage.

Juice

Says Dr Shukla, 'Awareness and early detection can manage diabetes. If you are obese, have a stressful job, lead a sedentary lifestyle, and have a history of diabetes, get an executive health check up done each year.'

Think Before You Drink

The latest research says drinking canned juice is worse than sugary soda and pushes up your risk of contracting Type 2 diabetes. It's not the extra calories, but the concentrated sugar that's the devil, explains Dr Jhingan. Most canned juices tend to have a lot of sugar that helps preserve it. As these are simple sugars, they immediately increase the blood sugar level.
Source: www.wonderwoman.in
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