CGM Machine
Source: Ted Eytan, 2018.10.20 CGM Sensor Number 3, Washington, DC USA 06659
Treatments for Diabetes
It’s important to note that diabetes isn’t considered curable. Someone that has overcame diabetes is still at a high risk of developing it again, so they need to maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to stay in remission (Joslin Education Team). The best way to prevent diabetes is through a healthy diet and physical activity, which regulates glucose levels in itself (Mayo Clinic). When one develops diabetes, there are many ways to manage it. Blood sugar monitoring is necessary, and it can be attained with use of a CGM and through A1C tests. Insulin therapy is also necessary, as diabetes stems from irregulated insulin levels (Mayo Clinic). A closed loop system is a device that’s implanted in the skin, and it combines a CGM with an insulin pump. The user has to manually input data from time to time, like the amount of carbs that they ate in a day, but then the device can automatically adjust their glucose levels accordingly (Mayo Clinic). Diabetes patients can take a number of drugs that can modify their tissues to either better absorb or not absorb sugars (Mayo Clinic). Finally, with the highest risk factor, there are a number of surgeries that patients can be considered for, depending on the severity of their condition. Usually surgeries are considered after other treatments have tried and failed. Surgeries include bariatric surgeries, which include a gastric sleeve, gastric bypass, or a combination of the two called a BPD/DS. Patients can also be considered for a pancreas transplant, but again this is an extremely high risk surgery (Mayo Clinic).
Limitations to Diabetes Treatments
- Lack of donors [23]
- Many patients don’t make changes in their lifestyle to better manage the disease (lack of physical activity/change of diet)
- Blood Sugar Monitoring limitations: [25]
- High net costs
- Fingertip pain
- Costs
- Frustrating to process results from blood sugar levels.
- Insulin therapy limitations: [27]
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- Symptoms like weight gain, rashes, increased appetite, low blood sugar
- risk factors for groups like women in pregnancy, and those with allergies
* They’re just treatments, not cures. *
References:
[10] Joslin Education Team, “Can Type 2 Diabetes Be Reversed?,” Joslin Diabetes Center. https://www.joslin.org/patient-care/diabetes-education/diabetes-learning-center/can-type-2-diabetes-be-reversed#:~:text=According%20to%20recent%20research%2C%20type
[12] Mayo Clinic, “Diabetes – Diagnosis and treatment – Mayo Clinic,” Mayoclinic.org, 2020. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20371451
[23]NHS Choices, NHS, www.organdonation.nhs.uk/get-involved/news/more-donors-needed-as-diabetes-linked-organ-transplants-increase/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
[25]“CGM L Pros and Cons of Continuous Glucose Monitors L DANATECH.” ADCES, www.diabeteseducator.org/danatech/glucose-monitoring/continuous-glucose-monitors-(cgm)/cgm-101/pros-cons-of-cgm. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.
[27]A;, Thota S;Akbar. “Insulin.” National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32809523/. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.