While there’s still no cure for diabetes, medical advancements in the past decade have been encouraging. Some of these advances give great promise going forward. Here are the three most promising diabetes treatments that have an exciting future.
Metformin (Pre-Diabetes)
A common drug used to treat type 2 diabetes, metformin can reduce the amount of sugar that comes from our liver. However, recent studies found that this medication can be as effective in preventing diabetes. A review by Georgetown University found that metformin can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by as much as 31%.
Two-In-One Drugs (Type 2 Diabetes)
Medications that contain two drugs in one pill are becoming a more popular solution to treat type 2 diabetes. One of those pills is Kombiglyze – a treatment that combines saxagliptin and metformin. As we previously mentioned, metformin instructs the liver to release less glucose, while saxagliptin instructs the pancreas to release larger amounts of insulin.
Artificial Pancreas (Type 1 Diabetes)
One of the most promising diabetes treatments, an artificial pancreas could be life-changing for people living with type 1 diabetes. At the moment, four different companies working on artificial pancreas systems are being funded by NIH. This device works just like a normal pancreas – it automatically checks your sugar levels and uses an insulin pump to regulate them.
This prevents low glucose emergencies that can cause a coma or seizures.
The Bottom Line
These promising diabetes treatments are proof we’ve come a long way towards preventing and managing diabetes in the last couple of years. As research teams around the world keep working on new drugs and procedures, we definitely have reasons to feel excited about new discoveries in this field.
