Pharmacological Treatment of Diabetes

Diabetes is an endocrine condition that occurs when the body is no longer able to effectively process ingested sugar due to insulin irregularities. Insulin is the key amino acid responsible for metabolizing sugar and preventing a buildup of glucose in the bloodstream. The two most common types of diabetes: type I and type II. Type I diabetes is a congenital autoimmune condition where the body attacks the insulin producing cells of the pancreas, resulting in little to no insulin production. Type II diabetes is a developed condition that occurs when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin or the body becomes resistant to the insulin that is produced. Both forms of diabetes may be pharmacologically treated to reduce their impact on an individual's health.

Insulin

• Diabetes may be pharmacologically treated with insulin injections. The drug insulin is harvested from other animals, most commonly cows and pigs, and can be injected into the human bloodstream to replace or assist the body's own insulin supply. Insulin may be synthetically blended with other carrier proteins to alter its release time once it is in the bloodstream. For example, long-acting insulin may be taken before a large meal to digest ingested sugar slowly but consistently over a period of several hours, while immediate acting insulin can metabolize a surplus of sugar within several minutes.

Thiazolidinediones

• Type II diabetics may also utilize a range of oral pharmacological treatments to help manage their condition. Type I diabetics typically do not see benefit from such medications as the cause of their diabetes isn't sluggish or overwhelmed pancreas function, but the destruction of the gland from the inside out. A common type of oral drug to treat Type II diabetes are thiazolidinediones, which assist the function of insulin in fat cells and muscle cells where sugar tends to build up.

Sulfonylureas

• Another often prescribed drug to treat type II diabetes are sulfonylureas tablets. This form of medication works to stimulate the insulin producing cells of the pancreas to make them generate more of the amino acid and therefore lower blood sugar levels. Sulfonylureas tablets can be paired with other pharmacological treatments, such as insulin injections and biguanides, to effectively manage the condition.

Biguanides

• Biguanides are a form of oral medication that help type II diabetics treat their condition by facilitating the effectiveness of naturally produced insulin. This form of drug binds with the insulin produced in the pancreas to overcome the body's resistance to it and allow it to bind easier and faster with glucose molecules in the bloodstream.

Alpha Glucosidase Inhibitors

• Alpha glucosidase inhibitors are a type of oral pharmacological treatment that helps treat type II diabetes by binding with starches in the digestive tract and slowing their breakdown. When a starch is digested, it breaks into its basic elements which include a significant amount of sugar molecules. These sugar molecules can flood the bloodstream very quickly and raise glucose levels substantially in a short period of time. By reducing the digestion time, alpha glucosidase inhibitors help maintain a steady blood sugar level and give other medications time to work.