(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- For some type 2 diabetes patients, needles may
be a thing of the past. A recent study shows some patients can control their
glucose levels long-term using oral medications.
“Generally, both patients and physicians believe that long-term use of oral
diabetic medications is not possible because these drugs lose their
effectiveness over time as the patient’s pancreas fails,” lead researcher
Arthur Swislocki, M.D., of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Northern California
Health Care System, was quoted as saying. “Our data suggest that some
patients can remain in good glucose control for years using non-insulin,
oral diabetic agents.”
Dr. Swislocki and his coworkers examined the VA medical records of 191
veterans with type 2 diabetes who started receiving treatment in 1992 and
returned for follow-ups for 15 consecutive years. Of these patients, 96
began treatment with oral medications alone. They found 55 percent of these
patients were able to continue relying on oral drugs 15 years later while
controlling their blood sugar well.
These results are good news for people who need treatment for type 2
diabetes, Dr. Swislocki explained. “They may be able to delay or avoid the
use of insulin.”
SOURCE: Presented at The Endocrine Society’s 90th Annual Meeting, San
Francisco, Calif., on June 15, 2008
