Advanced Treatment for Your Diabetes

Care that’s always there – Pediatric endocrinologist Arnold Slyper, M.D., talks with Dylan about his type 1 diabetes and regularly checks him to catch any changes in his condition early.

Lifestyle measures such as an appropriate diet, exercise and weight control can help a great deal in controlling diabetes. However, many patients need the extra assistance of medication, insulin and other medical treatments.

If you have diabetes, the right medication can be vital to how well you feel. Sometimes, achieving the best results may mean taking a combination of medications or insulin. Managing diabetes often requires controlling both blood sugar and insulin.

Insulin is normally produced in the pancreas to help convert blood sugar into energy, a process that goes awry if you have diabetes. It can be cause by three different things:

• The pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin (insulin deficiency)
• Your liver secretes too much sugar into the bloodstream instead of regulating the flow to keep it constant.
• The body’s tissues have trouble using insulin so sugar is locked out of cells, leaving high levels in the bloodstream (insulin resistance)

We’ll find out what’s causing your diabetes and prescribe the medication that’s right for you. Some medications boost insulin production, while others improve liver function or fight insulin resistance. New medication is also available to prevent the pancreas from shutting down as the disease progresses.

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