New combination therapy strongly boosts type 2 diabetes treatment

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Type 2 diabetes, a prevalent condition characterized by the body’s inability to effectively use or produce insulin, often leads to elevated blood sugar levels.

While Metformin is typically the initial treatment prescribed, its effectiveness can diminish over time, necessitating additional therapies.

Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have discovered a promising solution in the combination of two diabetes medications, dapagliflozin and exenatide.

Their study, which involved 695 adults whose Type 2 diabetes was not adequately controlled by metformin alone, has shown significant results.

Participants in the study were divided into three groups: one group received weekly injections of exenatide with metformin, another took daily dapagliflozin pills with metformin, and the third group was treated with both medications.

The findings demonstrated that the combination therapy group experienced superior blood sugar control compared to those receiving just one of the medications. This benefit was maintained throughout the two-year duration of the study.

Dapagliflozin aids in reducing blood glucose levels by helping the kidneys remove excess sugar through urine.

Exenatide, on the other hand, works by increasing insulin secretion after meals, reducing liver glucose production, slowing digestion, and promoting a feeling of fullness.

Together, these medications not only enhance blood glucose control but also contribute to weight loss and improved blood pressure.

The dual-drug approach has proven to be an effective strategy for the long-term management of Type 2 diabetes, particularly for patients who find that metformin alone is insufficient.

The study also confirmed the safety of this combination, with no unexpected health concerns emerging.

Published in the journal Diabetes Care, the research led by Dr. Serge Jabbour, highlights the importance of these findings in evolving diabetes treatment strategies.

This combination of dapagliflozin and exenatide offers a promising option for those struggling with standard treatments, enabling them to maintain stable blood sugar levels, reduce weight, and lower blood pressure over an extended period.

The sustained effectiveness and safety profile of this treatment combination make it a compelling option for managing more complex cases of Type 2 diabetes where metformin alone falls short.

If you care about diabetes, please read studies that eating more eggs is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, and how to eat to reduce heart disease death risk if you have diabetes.

For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies about high-protein diets linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, and results showing Mediterranean diet could help reduce the diabetes risk by one-third.

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