Diabetes and Drug Treatments

Diabetes and Drug Treatments

Diabetes Mellitus (DM), a chronic metabolic illness, is characterized by relentless hyperglycemia, usually due to failure of insulin control on blood sugar. It is broadly classified based on etiology into type 1 DM (T1DM), type 2 DM (T2DM), gestational diabetes (GDM), and juvenile diabetes. T1DM is an early-onset disorder resulting from the autoimmune destruction of beta cells of the pancreatic islets, which produce insulin, causing absolute deficiency of the hormone (DiMeglio, Evans-Molina & Oram, 2018). Initially, T1DM was termed juvenile diabetes. However, recognition that T1DM can occur at any age expanded the classification to Type 1A and Type 2B. T2DM accounts for over 90% of diabetes cases and results from insulin deficiency or diminished insulin response. It is more common in adults over 45 years and in overweight and obese persons. Gestational diabetes s hyperglycemia is first detected in pregnant persons in the second or third trimester (Goyal & Jialal, 2021).

Metformin is an Oral Hypoglycemic Agent used as a first-line drug. It reduces blood sugar by reducing gluconeogenesis, reducing intestinal uptake, and enhancing insulin sensitivity (Lv & Guo, 2020). The drug is administered orally with a normal dose starting at 500 milligrams per day. It is administered with meals to reduce gastrointestinal adverse effects.

Short-term effects of DM manifest as presenting complaints, which include polyuria, polydipsia, and polyphagia. Long-term effects of diabetes include both socioeconomic and clinical. Early diagnosis and onset of treatment aim at improving the quality of life of the patients. Persistent hyperglycemia causes an increased risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, renal impairment, retinopathy, diabetic ketoacidosis, and hyperglycemic coma (Goyal & Jialal, 2021). Moreover, socioeconomic consequences of diabetes include stress and anxiety, high healthcare costs, reduced productivity, and loss of employment. These adverse impacts are compounded by drug side effects such as weight gain, fluid retention, and hypoglycemia, among others.

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References

DiMeglio, L. A., Evans-Molina, C., & Oram, R. A. (2018). Type 1 diabetes. The Lancet, 391(10138), 2449-2462.

Goyal, R., & Jialal, I. (2021). Diabetes Mellitus Type 2. In StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing.

Lv, Z., & Guo, Y. (2020). Metformin and Its Benefits for Various Diseases. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 11.

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WK 5 Discussion: Diabetes and Drug Treatments

Each year, 1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with diabetes (American Diabetes Association, 2019). If left untreated, diabetic patients are at risk for several alterations, including heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, neuropathy, and blindness. There are various methods for treating diabetes, many of which include some form of drug therapy. The type of diabetes as well as the patient’s behavior factors, will impact treatment recommendations.

Diabetes and Drug Treatments

For this Discussion, you compare types of diabetes, including drug treatments for type 1, type 2, gestational, and juvenile diabetes.

Reference: American Diabetes Association. (2019). Statistics about diabetes. Retrieved from http://diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/

To Prepare
Review the Resources for this module and reflect on differences between types of diabetes, including type 1, type 2, gestational, and juvenile diabetes.
Select one type of diabetes to focus on for this Discussion.
Consider one type of drug used to treat the type of diabetes you selected, including proper preparation and administration of this drug. Then, reflect on dietary considerations related to treatment.
Think about the short-term and long-term impact of diabetes you selected on patients, including the effects of drug treatments.