A REVIEW ON INFLUENCE OF ANTIDIABETIC MEDICATIONS ON QUALITY OF LIFE

Dr. P. R. Anand Vijaya Kumar* and V. Sreedevi

ABSTRACT

The term diabetes includes several different metabolic disorders that all, if left untreated, result in abnormally high concentration of a sugar called glucose in the blood. Diabetes mellitus type 1 result when the pancreas no longer produces significant amounts of the hormone insulin, usually owing to the autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Diabetes mellitus type 2, in contrast, is now thought to result from autoimmune attacks on the pancreas and/or insulin resistance. The pancreas of a person with type 2 diabetes may be producing normal or even abnormally large amounts of insulin. Other forms of diabetes mellitus, such as the various forms of maturity onset diabetes of the young, may represent some combination of insufficient insulin production and insulin resistance. Some degree of insulin resistance may also be present in a person with type 1 diabetes. The main goal of diabetes management is, as far as possible, to restore carbohydrate metabolism to a normal state. To achieve this goal, individuals with an absolute deficiency of insulin require insulin replacement therapy, which is given through injections or an insulin pump. Insulin resistance, in contrast, can be corrected by dietary modifications and exercise. Other goals of diabetes management are to prevent or treat the many complications that can result from the disease itself and from its treatment. Diabetes mellitus is associated with a marked increased of cardiovascular events. The treatment strategy of diabetes has to be based on the knowledge of its pathophysiology. Thus, insulin is essential for treatment of type 1 diabetic patients because there is a defect in insulin secretion. However, treatment of type 2 diabetic patients is more complex because a defect in both insulin secretion and insulin action exists. Therefore, the treatment selection will depend on the stage of the disease and the individual characteristics of the patient. Management of patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) demands a comprehensive approach which includes diabetes education, an emphasis on life style modification, achievement of good glycemic control, minimization of cardiovascular risk, and avoidance of drugs that can aggravate glucose or lipid metabolism, and screening for diabetes complications. Comprehensive diabetes management can delay the progression of complication and maximize the quality of life. Acquiring knowledge about diabetes is an essential part of diabetes management, and even more important is to make the patient aware of this chronic disease. "For a diabetic patient, knowledge and understanding are not a part of treatment they are the treatment".

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, autoimmune, glycemic control, cardiovascular risk etc.