In the diagnosis of diabetes, antibody test are used to assess the risk factor, need for insulin, or type of diabetes the patient suffers from. Type 1 diabetes is a genetic autoimmune disease with specific autoantibody markers that are not found in type 2 patients. Antibodies are proteins produced by the body to fight infection. When these antibodies attack the body’s own cells they are referred to as autoantibodies. Autoantibodies to glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), islet antigen-2 (IA), insulin, and zinc transporter-8 are characteristic of type 1 diabetes.

Genetics and the Presence of Diabetes Antibody

Although genetic factors account for most cases of type 1 diabetes, there have been cases of identical twins, with identical genes, where one twin is diabetic and the other healthy. The prediction for inheriting diabetes is based on the presence of the genes HLA-DR3 or HLA-DR4 that are mostly found in whites. There are …

Currently there are many diabetes capsules on the market. Bitter melon (Momodica Charantia), also called Karela, and cinnamon are the most popular.

Used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries, the fruits and seeds of bitter melon are used in medicine. The American Diabetes Association does not consider cinnamon or bitter melon viable forms of treatment for diabetes. If you choose to take supplements advise your doctor and be sure to measure blood glucose frequently. It is not advisable to take cinnamon supplements with insulin or suphonylureas it may lead to hypoglycemia. When buying supplements make sure to buy from a certified maker, ensuring that the ingredients match those on the label.

Cinnamon Capsules Diabetes

There have been several studies investigating the ability of cinnamon (cinnamon cassia) to lower blood sugar. In a study published in 2009, people with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes who took cinnamon supplements twice …

Your doctor will prescribe you a diabetes tablet if you are unable to maintain blood glucose within a healthy range through diet and exercise three months after diagnosis. There are a variety of pills of varying dosages manufactured by different pharmaceutical companies. The goal of all diabetes tablets is to reduce blood glucose levels to normal, achieving this several different ways. Most either interact with the pancreas or liver.

Diabetes Tablet Interactions – Pancreas & Liver

Sulphonylureas are marketed as Daonil, Euglucon, Glimel, Diamicron, Glyade, Minidiab, Melizide, Rastinon, and Amaryl. All of these function the same way, causing the pancreas to release more insulin as well as making the insulin more effective. Sulphonylureas should be taken once a day half an hour before a meal, though potential hypoglycemia may necessitate the pill to be taken with or immediately after a meal. Care should be taken if you use …

Victoza (liraglutide) is a once daily injection used to treat type 2 diabetes by helping the pancreas release more insulin was approved for use by the FDA in January 2010. Victoza diabetes injections are part of a class of drugs called glucagon-like-peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist.  The FDA does not recommend Victoza for diabetes as a first-line therapy for patients who are unable to control their blood sugar levels with diet and exercise.

Clinical trials conducted before Victoza’s release found it may be associated with pancreatitis, similar to other drugs with the same functions. In five clinical trials of more than 3,900 patients, there were seven cases of pancreatitis in patients using Victoza diabetes injections. Because the number of cases is too low to determine if Victoza causes pancreatitis, the FDA recommends that patients using the drug be aware of the symptoms of pancreatitis. In the event of pancreatitis Victoza should …

For a newly diagnosed diabetic, metformin is often the first oral therapy prescribed. Common brand names for metformin, which is also sold as a generic drug include: Glucophage, Riomet, Fortamet, Glumetza, Obimet, Dianben, Diabex, Diaformin. The active ingredient in all of these is metformin hydrochloride (hcl). Preferred by many doctors for its relatively gentle side effects, another appeal of the medication is its price. Metformin costs less than other forms of medications with an average cost of $0.35 per pill. Additionally, metformin has been found to be a good therapy for over weight and obese diabetes patients.

The Obese Diabetic – Metformin Therapy

In an efficacy test conducted in 1995, metformin was given to moderately obese type 2 diabetes patients over 29 weeks who were unable to control their blood glucose levels with diet and exercise alone or in combination with glyburide. Researchers measured plasma glucose, lactate, lipids, …

There are many different diabetes tablets on the market. Divided into groups, all aim to keep blood glucose levels within a healthy range. Developed for use by type 2, non insulin-dependent diabetics, it is common for them to be used in combination with insulin therapy, a diabetes injection, or with another oral diabetes medication. The prescription of an oral medication is entirely dependent upon the individual case and the discretion of the healthcare professional. While clinical studies have shown certain drugs to be more effective than others, oral diabetes medications have a complex set of functions preventing one from being superior to another. Sometimes diabetes tablets are not sufficient in the management of blood glucose and insulin or a combination therapy may be recommended. Diabetes tablets cannot cure diabetes and should be used in conjunction with a healthy diet and exercise program.

Storing Diabetes Tablets

Diabetes tablets do …

LifeScan Inc. manufacturers One Touch diabetes products, the most well known of these products are the blood glucose meters. The meters range in their function and sizes. The OneTouch Ultra 2 gives a reading in five seconds and features a “before and after” meal average, meal flags which allow you to see the effects of your food choices on your glucose results, and seven, 14, and 30 day averages of blood glucose. In addition, it has a large back-lit screen and USB port.The OneTouch Ultra Mini is small in size and can easily be kept in a pocket. It has a 500 test memory and two scrolling buttons making it a good choice for when you need to test yourself outside of your home. The OneTouch Ultra Smart is by far the most complex, allowing entries for Exercise, Health, Medication, and Food, as well as a graph function to give …

The variety of diabetes pills available can be confusing as each deals with a particular function of insulin/glucose absorption and the various organs involved. Prior to and upon diagnosis of diabetes it is important to follow a healthy diet and perform some form of exercise in order to keep your organs healthy and functioning properly as well as regulate weight. Exercise and diet should be a constant part of your management strategy and cannot be substituted for by diabetes pills. In fact, studies show that exercise and diet programs and counseling alone or when paired with diabetes medicines can be more effective that medicines alone.

Diabetes Pills – Combination Therapy

In a paper from the Division of Endocrinology at the Mayo Clinic, researchers examined the use of acarbose for type 1 insulin-dependent diabetics. Acarbose has been clinically shown to lower postprandial glucose levels, which cannot be done with …

Diabetic tablets are not insulin. Insulin cannot be taken orally as it cannot survive the acidic environment of the stomach. Patients with type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent diabetes) require insulin replacement treatment to provide the body with the necessary insulin that the pancreas is no longer able to produce. It is not recommended that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding take oral diabetes medications, and should instead use insulin. Type 2 diabetics may not require insulin and its use is determined on a case-by-case basis. Diet and exercise and the first responses to treating type 2 diabetes however, if after three months of diet and exercise blood glucose is still not within a normal range, diabetes medications will be prescribed. It is important to keep in mind that diabetes medicines are not able to cure the disease and, unlike insulin, often patients will have to take it for the rest of …

High levels of blood glucose can cause health problems over-time. Anti-diabetic medications help to keep these blood glucose levels steady. The types of anti-diabetic medications you take depend on your type of diabetes, your schedule, and your current health conditions.

If you have type 1 diabetes, your body no longer makes insulin. This means that you have to take it. Other anti-diabetic medications may also be prescribed if insulin is not enough to regulate your blood sugar.

Type 2 diabetes patients are usually prescribed medications. Normally, treatment starts with metformin, and if this does not solve the problem then other medications may be prescribed. Types of anti-diabetic medications include insulin, sulfonylureas, alph-glucosidase inhibitors, biguanides, meglitinides, and thiazolidinediones. They all work in different ways:

• Sulfonylureas work by increasing the amount of insulin released from the beta cells in your pancreas.

• Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors allow glucose to enter your bloodstream more slowly, regulating

Anti-diabetic drugs treat the disease by lowering blood sugar levels. Examples of these are insulin, exenatide, and pramlintide. The different types are selected based on the nature of the diabetes, the age of the patient, and other factors.

Insulin is usually given by either injection or by insulin pump; it may also be given intravenously. There are four types of insulin separated by the rate of which they can metabolize.

Sensitizers are another form of anti-diabetic drugs. They address the insulin resistance that occurs primarily in Type II diabetes. Biguanides are one type of sensitizer which works by reducing hepatic glucose output and increase the uptake of glucose. They have adverse affects in patients that have an impaired liver or kidney problems. Metformin is most commonly used in this class, and is the best choice if people are at risk of heart failure.

Thiazolidinediones is another type of synthesizer. It …

There are several different types of diabetic pills. Each category of pills works in a different way. The categories of pills, found on Webmd.com, that are generally prescribed by doctors for diabetes are as follows:

Sulfonylureas – These pills stimulate the pancreas to release more insulin by lowering blood sugar. They include Amaryl (glimepiride), DiaBeta (glyburide), Glucotrol (glipizide), Glucotrol XL (extended release), Glynas PresTab (glyburide), and Micronase (glyburide). Older, shorter acting drugs include Diabinese (chlorpropamide), Dymelor (acethexamide), Orinase (tolbutamide), and Tolinase (tolazamide). Side effects include hypoglycemia, upset stomach, skin rash or itching, and weight gain.

Biguanides – This category of pills are used to improve insulin’s ability to move sugar into cells, especially muscle cells. They prevent the liver from releasing stored sugar as well. They cannot be used by people with kidney damage or risk of heart failure. Drugs in this category include metaformin (Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Riomet, …