|
Diabetes Medication Article
Alternative Devices for Taking Insulin
Many people who take insulin to manage their diabetes inject the insulin with a needle and syringe that delivers insulin just under the skin. Several other devices for taking insulin are available, and new approaches are under development.
Injection aids are devices that help users give injections with needles and syringes through the use of spring-loaded syringe holders or stabilizing guides. Many of these aids use push-button systems to administer the injection.
Insulin pens can be helpful if you want the convenience of carrying insulin with you in a discreet way. An insulin pen looks like a pen with a cartridge. Some of these devices use replaceable cartridges of insulin; other pen models are totally disposable. A short, fine needle, similar to the needle on an insulin syringe, is on the tip of the pen. Users turn a dial to select the desired dose of insulin and press a plunger on the end to deliver the insulin just under the skin.
Insulin jet injectors send a fine spray of insulin through the skin by a high-pressure air mechanism instead of needles.
Subcutaneous infusion sets, also called insulin infusers, provide an alternative to injections. A catheter (a flexible hollow tube) is inserted into the tissue just beneath the skin and remains in place for several days. Insulin is then injected into the infuser instead of through the skin.
External insulin pumps are devices that deliver insulin through narrow, flexible plastic tubing that ends with a needle inserted just under the skin near the abdomen. The insulin pump is about the size of a deck of cards, weighs about 3 ounces, and can be worn on a belt or carried in a pocket. Users set the pump to give a steady trickle or "basal" amount of insulin continuously throughout the day. Pumps release "bolus" doses of insulin (several units at a time) at meals and at times when blood glucose is too high based on the programming set entered by the user. They also can be programmed to release smaller amounts of insulin throughout the day. Frequent blood glucose monitoring is essential to determine insulin dosages and to ensure that insulin is delivered.
Approaches Under Development
Implantable insulin pumps are surgically implanted under the skin of the abdomen. The pump delivers small amounts of insulin throughout the day and extra amounts before meals or snacks. Users can control doses with a remote control unit that prompts the pump to give the specified amount of insulin. The pump is refilled with insulin every two to three months.
The insulin patch, placed on the skin, proides a continuous low dose of insulin. Because it's difficult to overcome teh skin's barriers, delivery of insulin through the skin is aided with sound waves or electrical current.
The inhaled insulin delivery system provides insulin as a spray or a dry powder inhaled through the mouth directly into the lungs where it passes into the bloodstream. Researchers also are investigating systems for delivering insulin intranasally (as a nose spray). Although serious side effects have not occurred during studies, more research is needed to examine the long-term safety of both inhaled and intranasal insulin treatments.
Insulin pills provide insulin in tablet form. Researchers are working on ways to get the insulin into the bloodstream before it is changed by normal digestive processes.
A buccal spray delivers liquid insulin into the mouth. Insulin is then absorbed through the tongue, the throat, and the inside of the cheeks.
An artificial pancreas, a surgically implanted device, imitates the action of the pancreas by sensing blood glucose levels and secreting insulin in response. The user also can release insulin using a remote control.
Diabetes Testing Center
Heart News Center
Hot Home Gym Reviews
The Secret Wisdom You Have Inside
Get Rid of Your Belly fat
Glucophage Drug News
Glucophage Drug
IMPORTANT: Bing News RSS feed has moved!
MONDAY, Feb. 6 (HealthDay News) -- When it comes to the treatment of type 2 diabetes, the first line of defense is lifestyle changes such as losing weight and exercising more often. But, if those lifestyle changes don't get blood sugar levels ...
Read moreMetformin Preferred Drug for Type 2 Diabetes, Experts Say
The American College of Physicians (ACP) recommends metformin as the first drug to treat most patients with type 2 diabetes. ACP also recommends that clinicians add a second drug to metformin when treatment with metformin and lifestyle changes ...
Read moreNew Guidelines Recommend Metformin to Treat Type 2 Diabetes
The FDA has approved another combination of metformin plus a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor for type 2 diabetes, makers of the drug announced. Jentadueto combines linagliptin with the older agent for a twice-daily pill to improve ...
Read moreNew Diabetes Combo Agent Gets FDA Nod
Metformin, a diabetes drug, was found to decrease the risk of pancreatic cancer in women. The Swiss-American study discovered that long-term use of the diabetes drug, metformin lowered the risk of pancreatic cancer in women. Long-term use of the ...
Read moreDiabetes Drug Metformin Cuts Women's Pancreatic Cancer Risk: Top Ways to Lower Your's Drug-Free
Popular diabetes drug metformin is at the center of a new study that researchers say presents “interesting and informative” but “not definitive” data about medications used to treat the condition and their potential effects on the ...
Read moreDiabetes Drug Metformin Could Cut Cancer Risk, Other Findings ‘Surprising’
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study links the diabetes drug metformin to fewer cases of pancreatic cancer -- at least in women -- but finds other diabetes medications are associated with a higher risk of the disease. The differences in ...
Read moreDiabetes drugs tied to pancreatic cancer risk
Metformin Side Effects PCOS, Metformin (brand name "Glucophage" or "Glucophage XR") is a drug that your doctor may have prescribed for you if you have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This drug offers both benefits and risks, summarized below. We also ...
Read moreMetformin Side Effects PCOS
People with Type 2 diabetes have many different drugs on the market that help to control their blood sugar levels. Metformin (Glucophage) is a very popular oral medication for Type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes. Metformin controls high blood sugar levels ...
Read moreMetformin for Type 2 Diabetes
JANUMET XR is indicated as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus when treatment with both sitagliptin and extended-release metformin is appropriate. The drug should not be used in ...
Read more