June 28th, 2012 – UT SouthWestern Medical Center has completed a study that indicates aggressive treatment of Type 2 Diabetes can significantly decrease the progression of diabetes and preserve the body’s insulin producing ability.
Dr Ildiko Lingvay, assistant professor of internal medicine said; “An intensive treatment course of therapy can potential change the course of diabetes.”
Traditional or standard guidelines for the treatment of newly diagnosed Type 2 Diabetic recommend a stepped approach starting with losing weight, dieting, and life style changes. Additionally metformin is the oral drug of choice should dieting and exercise not result in normalizing blood sugar levels.
Dr Lingvay says their study indicates that the conventional stepped approach exposes patients to long periods of high blood sugars, which can lead to complications.
Medical science has long known that diabetes is a progressive disease. Over time the body’s ability to produce insulin declines. If blood sugars remain high, damage to body systems and organs is inevitable- potentially resulting in many major life threatening problems.
The study used several differing approaches – one was a combination of insulin and metformin. Another was the use of several oral diabetic medications. The results from both groups preserved beta-cell function, which is the key to changing the course of diabetes. Both approaches were statistically equal in effectiveness and significantly better in outcome the standard stepped approach for newly diagnosed diabetics.
The findings of the study will be published in the July issue of the American Diabetes Association.
You can read the original news release from UT SouthWestern
