Injection-Free Diabetes Control
Reported June 18, 2008
(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 patients 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 Societys 90th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, Calif., on June 15, 2008