Breakthrough Cure For Type Two Diabetes

There is a new and exciting breakthrough with the introduction of a new class of oral medication for type 2 diabetes called dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors that help address the significant needs of patients and doctors in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The role of hormones in the management of type 2 diabetes that a persons genes, which is inherited predisposition to diabetes and lifestyle can lead to impaired insulin secretion and insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance and the lack of glucagons suppression. These are many of the unmet needs among patients in the treatment of diabetes. Current diabetes drugs only address the insulin demand, but do not address the glucose supply.

In type 2 diabetes, the glucose is elevated; the insulin in blunted and the glucagons remains unsuppressed. In a non-diabetic, the glucose level goes up and the insulin level goes up but the glucagons level is normally suppressed, that is the desired effect. Incretins are also involved in the regulation of blood sugar levels. Incretins are hormones that are released in the gastrointestinal tract upon the ingestion of food. They improve the release of insulin as one of their mechanisms. GLP-1 (glucagons-like peptide 1) and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) are two of the most important incretins.

With the emergence of DPP-4 inhibitors like sitagliptin, blood sugar levels can be controlled by enhancing the patient’s own incretins and by inhibiting the DPP-4 enzymes by working on a mechanism that is glucose dependent, there is very little hypoglycemia which most patients fear. Metformin is the gold standard in diabetes management. Endocrinologist in the United States is now aggressively using the combination of sitagliptin and metformin.