Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes – Part 3

Physical activity, yes, exercise, can be from doing chores or another activity like running. The most important thing for you to do is find a physical activity that you enjoy and can perform on a daily basis. This will help manage your blood glucose levels and generally helps lower blood glucose. It definitely helps your cell and muscles use glucose and insulin.

Now don't be foolish about physical activity. Too many people exercise when their blood glucose levels are too high or too low. My blog here explains the correct blood glucose readings for exercising. It is always a good thing to check your blood glucose levels before and after exercise.

Using the right meal plan and being active can help you lose extra pounds and stay at the proper weight for you. This will also help you manage your blood glucose levels. Unless your doctor has already given you the okay to exercise, always ask if there are any limitations you should be aware of before establishing an exercise regimen.

The next discussion will be on oral medications and I will give you several blogs instead to a lengthy discussion here about each class of oral diabetes medications. The first blog covers several classes including metformin.

Metformin should be the first medication your doctor recommends. Yet, many doctors go with other medications. The Sulfonylureas seem popular in this area. I am not sure why it is this way. The sulfonylureas basically force your pancreas to make more insulin, which can result in hypoglycemia or low blood glucose readings below 70 mg/dl.

The next drug class is Meglitinide and is covered in this blog. Basically this drug replaces sulfonylureas if you are allergic to sulfa as I am very allergic. Prandin is the only drug in this class.

DPP-4 inhibitors are the next class and its task is to slow the hormones that give your pancreas the signal to produce insulin. This allows the insulin to work longer to lower your blood glucose after a meal.

Thiazolidinediones, TZDs, or glitazones is the next class and its purpose is to lower insulin resistance to help you pancreas work less.

Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors help slow the digestion of complex carbohydrates and prevents your blood glucose from spiking after your eat.

Some work by letting your kidneys pee out extra sugar. They're SGLT2 inhibitors.

Cholesterol-lowering drugs called bile acid sequestrants can also help lower your blood glucose.

You can take these medications by themselves or in combination with others, including insulin. Some pills have included more than one kind of drug and they are combination pills.

Part 3 of 4 blogs.