Tradjenta is a new drug for type 2 diabetes that is close to being approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It’s in a new class of drugs called DPP-4 inhibitors. DPP-4 breaks down the proteins that stimulate the insulin producing cells after a meal. lowers blood sugar levels The new drug works by by blocking an enzyme known as dipeptidyl peptidase IV or DPP-4 resulting in a lower blood sugar.
Another diabetes drug called Canagliflozin, has just been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by a vote of 10 to 5 .According to Reuters, canagliflozin “is a member of a fresh class of diabetes drugs known as sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors which lower blood sugar by blocking reabsorption of glucose by the kidney and increasing the excretion of glucose in urine.”
For some people, diet, exercise and conventional medications are not enough to keep blood glucose levels in a good range. These drugs have been successful in clinical trials at helping to lower them when traditional methods aren’t enough. Diet and exercise are still important additions to medical management, however.
- Among U.S. residents ages 65 years and older, 10.9 million, or 26.9 per cent, had diabetes in 2010.
- About 215,000 people younger than 20 years had diabetes—type 1 or type 2—in the United States in 2010.
- About 1.9 million people ages 20 years or older were newly diagnosed with diabetes in 2010 in the United States.
- In 2005–2008, based on fasting glucose or hemoglobin A1C (A1C) levels, 35 percent of U.S. adults ages 20 years or older had prediabetes— 50 per cent of adults ages 65 years or older. Applying this percentage to the entire U.S. population in 2010 yields an estimated 79 million American adults ages 20 years or older with prediabetes.
- Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, nontraumatic lower-limb amputations, and new cases of blindness among adults in the United States.
- Diabetes is a major cause of heart disease and stroke.
- Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
There are two main types of diabetes: Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes. About 90 per cent of people with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes, which used to be called adult onset diabetes. Obesity is the primary cause of diabetes. However, more and more children are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Hopefully these findings will continue to produce further exciting results.
Again this relates back to all my previous articles in how important diet is to our overall health. Over 50 per cent of cancers could be eliminated with improved lifestyle changes. The importance of a balanced diet for a person with diabetes is for the person to control their glucose level. Fruits and vegetables are being promoted because they help prevent and control diabetes. Regular exercise is also advised. So eat healthy and get out and get some exercise just like the doctor ordered. Even though I am not diabetic I monitor my blood sugar with a home test kit several times a year.
I am a firefighter and cancer survivor circumnavigating the globe by bicycle to fund research for a cure for breast, prostate and lung cancer.The posted blogs are my personal opinion and thoughts. Follow my Journey at www.firefightercycle.com