Diabetes Mellitus Treatment

Diabetes Mellitus Treatment

The goal of diabetes control is to keep blood glucose levels as close as possible to normal. Since diabetes can greatly increase the risk of heart disease and peripheral artery disease, measures to control blood pressure and cholesterol levels are an essential part of the treatment of diabetes as well.

People with diabetes should take responsibility for their daily care. This includes controlling blood glucose levels, controlling diet, maintaining physical activity, keeping weight and stress under control, controlling oral medications and, if necessary, using insulin through injections or a pump. To help patients achieve this, the UCSF Diabetes Teaching Center offers self-management educational programs that emphasize individualized diabetes care. The program allows patients to make more consistent and appropriate adjustments in their therapy and lifestyle.

Dietary Management And Physical Activity

Modifying eating habits and increasing physical activity are often the first steps to reduce blood sugar levels. At UCSF Medical Center, all patients work with their doctor and certified dietitian to develop a dietary plan. Our Teaching Center conducts workshops that provide patients with information on the nutrient content of food, healthy cooking and exercise.

Insulin Therapy

People with type 1 diabetes require multiple injections of insulin each day to maintain safe levels of insulin. Insulin is often required to treat type 2 diabetes. Using an insulin pump is an alternative to injections. The pump is about the size of a pager and is usually worn on your belt. Insulin is given through a small tube (catheter) that is placed under the skin (usually in the abdomen).

There are four main types of insulin:

• Fast action
• Short-acting
• Intermediate action
• Long Acting

Your doctor will determine your dose and how often you need to take insulin. There is no standard dose of insulin, since it depends on factors such as body weight, the amount of insulin you consume, how often you exercise and the amount of insulin you produce.

Oral Medications

Sometimes, blood sugar levels are still high in people with type 2 diabetes despite eating healthy and exercising. When this happens, medications taken in pill form may be prescribed. The medicines work in different ways. These include improving the effectiveness of the body's natural insulin, reducing the production of blood sugar, increasing insulin production and inhibiting the absorption of sugar in the blood. Oral medications for diabetes are sometimes taken in combination with insulin.