Advance Pharmacology Assignment: Diabetes and Drug Treatments

Treatments for the Various Types of Diabetes
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Treatments for the Various Types of Diabetes
Introduction
Diabetes broadly covers some metabolic disorders where a patient has high levels of blood glucose, either as a result of the production of inadequate insulin or due to the failure of the patient’s cells to respond to the produced insulin or both (American Diabetes Association, 2014). The cardinal signs of diabetes are polyuria (urinating frequently), polydipsia (getting thirsty), and polyphagia (getting hungry). Over 380 million people are estimated to suffer from the condition globally. The are various types of diabetes and this discussion will focus on type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes is divided into different types depending on the causes. Type 1 diabetes, which is also referred to as juvenile diabetes, arises when the body cannot produce insulin. This type of diabetes constitutes approximately 10% of all the diabetes cases. It usually develops early in life, and the patients need insulin injections throughout their lives (Atkinson, Eisenbarth, & Michels, 2014). In type 2 diabetes, the body produces insulin but in quantities insufficient for proper function. It might also be caused by the failure of the cells to respond to insulin. It constitutes approximately 90% of all diabetes cases. Typically, the disease is progressive. Gestational diabetes manifests during pregnancy. It is majorly controlled through proper diets and exercise (Russo, Nobles, Ertel, Chasan-Taber, & Whitcomb, 2015). In some cases, medications to control glucose levels might be necessary.
Type 2 Diabetes
It is the commonest type of diabetes. Though traditionally seen as an adult disease, it is increasingly affecting children, especially due to childhood obesity (Chatterjee, Khunti, & Davies, 2017). Obesity leads to insulin resistance and hence, increases one’s predisposition to the disease. Other risk factors include smoking, lack of physical exercise among others. The condition leads to weight loss, fatigue, and blurred vision. In the long-term, the disease increases one’s predisposition to cardiovascular diseases, kidney damage, nerve damage, difficulties in wound healing, among others.
Though there is no cure for type 2 diabetes, it can be managed with proper diet and exercise. Proper diet has been proven to be an effective way of managing diabetes. Healthy diets help with weight loss, which also contributes to diabetes control. To manage blood sugar, one should pay attention to the amount of f...