How is type 2 diabetes treated and controlled?
Type 2 diabetes is always two things: It is always insulin resistance which means that the body doesn't use the insulin it makes normally and it is also always insulin deficiency. It is different than with type 1 but it is a process where the body makes some, but not enough insulin. With type 2, the first way you want to do is help reduce the resistance to insulin. You can do that by losing weight and by exercising. Those are good ways to reduce insulin resistance and part always in the treatment in type 2 diabetes. The first pill that we recommend that you use is a pill called Metformin which is a very good pill for helping the body to use insulin better. Then there is a number of other pills that can be added to that as diabetes is treated. Pretty much everyday it seems like we are having new pills for treating diabetes. If that doesn't work, there is injectable drugs. There is an injectable drug that is called Exenitide, which helps people with weight loss and blood sugar control and it isn't insulin. If the pills and the drug like Exenitide doesn't work, then people go on to be on insulin as well as type 1 diabetes and often they are on a combination of insulin and pills because Type 2 was always those two things. People always make a little bit of their own insulin and they are always somewhat resistant to whatever it is you do.
