Therapy
The therapy of diabetes mellitus type 2 is carried out according to a step-by-step plan and always begins without medication. Initially, one should try to get the disease under control by weight reduction and activity alone. If this does not help (the HbA1c value is used for evaluation), stage 2 follows, which means taking an oral antidiabetic.
These are not insulin preparations, unlike the injected drugs used in type 1 diabetes, as there is no absolute lack of insulin. Oral antidiabetics ensure that the insulin that is already present can work better again by stimulating the body’s own production or sensitizing the cells to absorb insulin. Which antidiabetic drug is most likely to be indicated must be weighed individually and depends, among other things, on weight.
The drug metformin is used most frequently. If this therapy is also unsuccessful, another antidiabetic drug is added in stage 3. If this also fails, the administration of insulin is finally recommended in stage 4.
Prophylaxis
Provided that there is no genetic component involved, the development of diabetes mellitus type 2 can be prevented quite easily by a healthy lifestyle. One should take care to maintain a normal weight and exercise regularly. Muscle building is also recommended, as muscle cells use glucose even when resting. Since stress can promote the development of type 2 diabetes, it is also advisable to expose yourself to as little stress as possible.
Summary
Diabetes mellitus type 2 is now a widespread disease, as it is mainly caused by overweight and lack of exercise.Due to the constantly high sugar levels in the blood, the body can no longer react with an adequate release of insulin, which means that there is permanently too much sugar in the blood. This often remains undetected for a long time, but can eventually lead to serious secondary diseases such as high blood pressure, vascular diseases including heart attack or kidney failure. For this reason, it is important to nip the disease in the bud by losing weight. –> Continue to the topic Diabetes mellitus symptoms