Managing Type 2 Diabetes

Traveling well through life with type 2 diabetes requires a combination of proper nutrition, exercise, weight loss (if necessary) and medication.

Medication
Some people with type 2 diabetes can manage their diabetes with healthy eating and exercise. However, your Doctor may need to also prescribe oral medications:
- Metformin is usually the first medication prescribed for type 2 diabetes to help your body use insulin more effectively
- Sulfonylureas and Meglitinides are two categories of drugs that stimulate the pancreas to secrete more insulin
- Thiazolidinediones make the body's tissues more sensitive to insulin, like Metformin does, but they are not as well tolerated
- DPP-4 inhibitors help reduce blood sugar levels
- GLP-1 receptor agonists digestion and help lower blood sugar levels.
- SGLT2 inhibitors are relatively new drugs that prevent the kidneys from reabsorbing sugar into the blood

Insulin
If type 2 diabetes is diagnosed too late, or not adequately managed, a person may become insulin dependent. Insulin dependent people must learn to administer their insulin using insulin pens, or syringes, or an insulin pump. Medical supervision and some trial and error may be required to determine which insulin(s) are best for each individual.

Exercise
Staying physically active is an important component of proper diabetes care. Beyond helping you stay fit and healthy, regular exercise helps stabilize blood glucose.

Nutrition
Every person with diabetes needs to work with a dietitian to understand the relationship between food and blood glucose and learn healthy meal planning.

Co-morbid Conditions
A co-morbid condition is one that occurs along with another disease. Both high blood pressure and high cholesterol frequently occur along with type 2 diabetes, and are often addressed as part of the diabetes treatment regime.

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