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Diabetes – What are Type 2 Diabetes Medications? | Diabetes Type 2 Medications | Medications For Type 2 Diabetes

All six of these classes of drugs manage type 2 diabetes sulfonylureas, biguanides, thiazolidinediones, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, meglitinides and DPP 4 inhibitors. They may work in different ways to help diabetes patients but they all help to maintain good blood glucose control.These medications are the oldest of the oral meds. Tolinase has been around since the 1950′s. It’s still prescribed today. Newer drugs in this class include Glucotrol, Glucotrol XL, Amaryl, Diabeta, and Micronase. They’re hypoglycemic agents because they allow the pancreas to release more insulin into the blood which lowers the glucose level. Hypoglycemia is a common side effect. Many of these drugs are only effective for a few years and then may stop working.

Type 2 diabetes is characterized by insulin resistance as body cells do not respond appropriately when insulin is present. This is a more complex problem than type 1, but is sometimes easier to treat, since insulin is still produced, especially in the initial years. Type 2 may go unnoticed for years in a patient before diagnosis, since the symptoms are typically milder and can be sporadic. However, severe complications can result from unnoticed type 2 diabetes, including renal failure, and coronary artery disease.

Type 2 diabetes was formerly known by a variety of partially misleading names, including adult onset diabetes , obesity related diabetes ,insulin resistant diabetes, or non insulin dependent diabetes. It may be caused by a number of diseases, such as hemochromatosis and polycystic ovary syndrome, and can also be caused by certain types of medications. About 90 to 95% of all North American cases of diabetes are type 2, and about 20% of the population over the age of 65 is a type 2 diabetic.

The fraction of type 2 diabetics in other parts of the world varies substantially, almost certainly for environmental and lifestyle reasons.The most commonly prescribed medication for type 2 diabetes is metformin. Metformin works by decreasing the amount of sugar your liver releases and by helping your body to use its own available insulin more efficiently. It is prescribed frequently because it is inexpensive and has been found to help prevent many of the long term complications of diabetes.In contrast to many other diabetes medications, metformin rarely leads to low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia.

Nevertheless, it can cause a dangerous buildup of acid in the blood among those with liver and kidney disorders and should be avoided by people in these groups.For some people with type 2 diabetes, dietary changes and exercise aren’t enough to keep blood glucose levels in check. Oral diabetes medications can help control type 2 diabetes by increasing insulin sensitivity, decreasing glucose output, impacting carbohydrate absorption, or stimulating the pancreas to step up insulin production, making diabetes medications another great addition to effective diabetes management.

Acarbose tends to lower insulin levels after meals, a particular advantage, since higher levels of insulin after meals are associated with an increased risk for heart disease. Some evidence suggests that early use of these drugs may reduce heart risk factors, including high blood pressure. Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors are not as effective alone as other single oral drugs, but combinations, such as with metformin, insulin, or a sulfonylurea, increase their effectiveness.If you have chest pain or a feeling of chest pressure, you should seek immediate medical attention, regardless of what diabetes medicines you are taking. If you take AVANDIA, tell your doctor right away if you have swollen legs or ankles, a rapid increase in weight or difficulty breathing, or unusual tiredness; experience changes in vision become pregnant.