Duetact Uses for Type 1 Diabetes
Most people make insulin in their
pancreas, including those with
type 2 diabetes. However, if a person has
type 1 diabetes, his or her body does not make insulin (or not enough to control blood sugar levels).
Duetact causes the cells inside the pancreas to make more insulin. If insulin-producing cells do not work, however, such as is the case with type 1
diabetes, Duetact will have little effect. This is the reason why Duetact is not used to treat type 1 diabetes. Instead, a person with type 1 diabetes needs to take insulin medication.
Duetact Uses in General Diabetes Treatment
The main goal of any
diabetes treatment is to lower your blood sugar levels (as measured by your hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c]) enough to reduce your risk for developing problems related to diabetes
.
Any type 2 diabetes treatment begins with lifestyle changes (weight loss, a diabetic diet, and exercise). If lifestyle changes are not effective at
managing diabetes,
diabetes medication (such as Duetact) may be necessary. Some
diabetes drugs force the pancreas to produce more insulin
. These medications are effective, but can cause dangerously low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Duetact contains one of these medications (
glimepiride) that is more likely to cause low blood sugar
(see Duetact and Blood Sugar).
In some people, Duetact may need to be combined with other diabetes medicines. For example, if type 2 diabetes is untreated for a very long time, the pancreas may not be able to make enough insulin anymore, even with the help of Duetact. In these people, using Duetact alone will not be effective. These people will need to take insulin along with Duetact.
To learn about controlling diabetes through lifestyle choices, click any of the following eMedTV links:
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