Diabetes Mellitus refers to a group of complications that is a long-term disease, and it affects a large populace in the world. Diabetes results in high sugar content in the blood, and such a situation can cause significant complications if not well controlled.
Conventionally, diabetes has been managed by the use of drugs, insulin, and changes in diet and exercise regimens.
However, earlier the position was very disappointing, but now medical science and technology have brought out a new paradigm of approach as to how this disease can be controlled effectively.
The following article provides an overview of new developments in diabetes care, with special emphasis on innovative therapies and technologies, lifestyle modification strategies, and advanced technologies.
1. Advanced Medications and Drug Therapies
Current advancements in the production of drugs have seen the emergence of new drugs that can reduce blood sugar effectively without many side effects.
GLP-1 Receptor Agonists
There is another class of drugs referred to as the GLP-1 receptor agonists, and these are relatively new drugs that have shown promising results in the management of Type 2 diabetes.
These drugs act in the same way as a naturally occurring hormone in the body known as GLP-1, which assists in the regulation of blood sugar levels by encouraging insulin production and reducing the secretion of glucagon.
Also, semaglutide and liraglutide act as agonists, and they have the side effect of slowing down the gastric emptying rate, meaning that patients feel full for longer, which helps in the management of diabetes through weight loss.
SGLT2 Inhibitors
The other promising new group of drugs is Sodium-Glucose Co-Transporter-2 (SGLT2), which includes dapagliflozin and canagliflozin, and their mechanism is to inhibit the reabsorption of glucose by the renal tubules.
However, they can excrete the excess glucose in their urine. Such drugs not only work to contain blood sugar levels but bear other cardiovascular values that help prevent heart disease,s – which is deeply associated with diabetic patients.
Combination Therapies
In recent years, the approaches to treating diabetes have been directed towards employing several organisms that act on different signal pathways.
For instance, the integration of GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors has been observed to make significant progress towards glycemic control compared to the use of the two individual drugs.
This multi-targeted approach is quite helpful for patients with complicated cases of diabetes where usual treatments fail to work well for the patients.
2. Artificial Pancreas and Closed-Loop Systems
Another giant step has been made in the field of diabetes treatment with the introduction of the artificial pancreas or the closed-loop insulin delivery system.
It comprises a CGM that continually measures glucose levels in the patient’s blood and an insulin pump that administers insulin doses depending on the CGM result.
How it Works
A CGM device constantly monitors the level of glucose present in the interstitial fluid, which is slightly beneath the skin. The data is forwarded to the insulin pump, which in turn alters the dosage of insulin being supplied to the patient.
This kind of closed-loop system is said to perform almost like a healthy pancreas by administering insulin where necessary, and this will prevent the occurrence of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.
Benefits
The artificial pancreas system increases glycemic control and decreases patients’ workload to monitor blood sugar manually during the day.
It has a better effect on the quality of life; it has been noted that more significant lifts are realised with patients with Type 1 diabetes, as they mostly rely on insulin.
Further, this technology also minimises the development of long-term complications, including kidney diseases, nerve injury and cardiovascular complications.
Current Developments
There are different types of artificial pancreas; some of them have been approved for us, and they include the ones from Medtronic and Tandem Diabetes Care. Currently, scientists are investigating ways to magnify the usability of these systems for a large number of patients.
3. Wearable Technology and Mobile Health Apps
However, the advancement of technological equipment such as wearable technology and mobile health applications has ensured that the management of diabetes has become easier and more personal.
Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs)
CGMs, including Dexcom and Freestyle Libre, are devices that enable a person to monitor blood glucose levels in real-time. These wearable devices are strapped to the skin and provide glucose readings every few minutes.
While the currently available forms of testing only require a finger prick and involve a rather limited number of checks during the day and night, CGMs provide a constant readout.
The use of CGMs can be in conjunction with a smartphone, where the patient can see the glucose pattern and get a notification when the glucose level is high or low.
This real-time data helps in effective decisions on insulin doses, foods that can be consumed, as well as the level of physical activity that a patient can undertake.
Mobile Health Apps
Many mobile apps dedicated to the diabetes category available for download allow the person with diabetes to monitor his / her blood glucose level and eating/exercise habits.
Some of the mobile applications include MySugr, Glucose Buddy, and Carb Manager, which enable individuals to record their activities and obtain suggestions from the recorded information.
Some of these apps also connect with CGMs and fitness monitors, thus offering a better view of the patient.
Besides assisting with blood sugar level regulation, they also offer encouragement and support to the patients, thus giving them a much-needed boost to ensure they do not deviate from their treatment regimes.
4. Dietary Innovations Personalised Nutrition
Since diet has always been part of the management of DM, the recent trends in the management of diabetes entail how individuals with DM can modify their diet.
Low-carb and Ketogenic Diets
There are many eating plans available today, and one of the most common is the ketogenic diet, which is effective in regulating blood glucose. Low-carbohydrate diets put the body in a state where it uses fatty tissue as the main source of energy instead of glucose.
This may result in better glycemic control and the ability of the body to better respond to insulin.
However, ketogenic diets are not recommended for all patients, and anyone under this category should speak to a doctor before making necessary changes to their diet. Individualised dietary programs like pyramids and profiles tailored with special regard to metabolic rates and preferences are now quite familiar.
CGM in this context can be used to provide feedback on dietary regimes.
This has led to the ability of patients using CGM to see how specific foods impact blood glucose levels in real time. This enables a more personalised approach to dieting.
For instance, a patient learns that there are some kinds of carbohydrates that can raise his or her blood sugar levels greatly and others that do not have that effect.
These ideas can be utilised for the development of an individual food combination that will help to reduce the fluctuations within the blood glucose level and enhance glycemic management on the whole.
Functional Foods and Nutraceuticals
Beneficial functional foods and, more specifically, approved nutraceuticals are indispensable tools when it comes to the diabetes issue.
Finally, there are certain foods which may help to manage diabetes and reduce inflammation, such as fibre, Omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants. To illustrate this, chia seeds, flaxseeds or bitter gourd have been found the reduce blood glucose levels.
There has also been interest in furthering the effects of probiotics as well as prebiotics to enhance gut health because they correlate with enhanced glucose metabolism.
Using these functional foods as part of the diabetic diet, additional assistance can be given to the management of the disease.
5. Gene Therapy and Stem Cell Research
Autologous transplantation of stem cells and gene therapy will provide future approaches for the treatment and cure of diabetes.
Gene Editing with CRISPR
Due to this, diabetes can be treated at a genetic level using the CRISPR-Cas9 technology, which is a very effective gene-editing tool.
Scientists are testing whether faulty genes that cause Type 1 diabetes can be fixed using CRISPR.
Thus, if the genes that code for insulin in the body are modified, it is hoped that people with the disease to be cured through natural production of insulin in the body.
Gene therapy is, however, still in its experimental stage. Still, it could be a long-term cure for patients with diabetes, especially Type 1 diabetes, in which the body and immune system attack insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.
Stem Cell Therapy
Stem cell therapy is another way of treating diseases using current technologies: Stem cell therapy. Researchers are in the process of engineering stem cells which have the potential to be differentiated into beta cells that produce insulin.
Using such cells, it would then be possible to transplant some of the cells back into individuals suffering from diabetes, with the expectation that these cells will start producing normal insulin necessary for the management of the disease, without the need for injections.
Several clinical trials have been initiated; some of which are as follows, and encouraging trends have been evident. At the forefront of this research are ViaCyte and Semma Therapeutics, which are now racing to bring stem cell therapies for diabetes.
Although these treatments are not yet available in clinics, they suggest a future in which diabetes can be cured as opposed to being controlled.
6 . Behavioural and Psychological Approaches
Thus, along with the development of novel technologies and medicines, the role of behavioural and psychological factors for diabetes is increasingly acknowledged.
Mindfulness and Stress Management
Stress is known to have negative effects on health and well-being for people diagnosed with diabetes, in the sense that stress causes fluctuations in blood sugar levels.
The MBSR comprises a program that contains meditation, deep breathing, and relaxation that enables people with diabetes to manage their stress levels and enhance their glycemic management.
Through cutting the stress hormones such as cortisol, mindfulness practices help stabilise blood pressure, and thus enhance our mental and physical health.
Diabetes Education and Shared Support with Peers
Diabetes mentoring, where a patient is assigned a health mentor and the patient comes up with individualised approaches to managing diabetes, is becoming common.
These are medical professionals who offer counselling and act as sources of encouragement and motivation for the patient to change his/her habits.
People in the support groups, and the online group, as well as face-to-face, have a very important role to play regarding diabetes.
Listening to other people’s stories puts you in touch with other people in similar situations, which helps to give perspective and ideas on how to cope with the disease.
Conclusion
The management of diabetes is today considered different from that in the past few years, thanks to the technology in the medical field, personalised nutrition and new therapies.
There may be, indeed, more men and women who are suffering from this disease, but with innovative drug therapies, artificial pancreas systems, gene editing capabilities, mindfulness practice, and many more, there are more ways to manage diabetes than before.
These new approaches provide hope for improved management and sometimes even a cure for the diseases, and thus a patient should discuss with his/her doctor how to manage the disease best.
The only thing that people with diabetes need to do is to update themselves on what is available and embrace new technologies and treatments for them to live a normal, happy life. You can do more research about your health, similar to this, on our health page.
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