Type 2 diabetes is a widespread condition where the body either doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use it properly, leading to high blood sugar levels. It can cause serious health problems over time, such as heart disease, kidney damage, and nerve issues.
The most commonly used starting medication for this condition is metformin, but over time, some people find that it’s no longer enough to keep their blood sugar under control.
Now, researchers at Thomas Jefferson University have found that combining two other diabetes drugs—dapagliflozin and exenatide—offers a strong and lasting solution for people whose diabetes isn’t well managed with metformin alone.
The study involved 695 adults with Type 2 diabetes who were already taking metformin but still had high blood sugar levels. The participants were split into three groups: one group added weekly injections of exenatide to their routine, another took daily dapagliflozin pills, and the third used both drugs together with metformin.
After two years, the group taking both medications together saw the best results. Their blood sugar levels were more stable, and the improvement lasted over the entire study period. This is important because many diabetes medications lose effectiveness over time. But this combination therapy continued to work well, showing real promise for long-term care.
The reason this combo works so well is that the two drugs target diabetes in different ways. Dapagliflozin helps the kidneys flush out excess sugar through urine.
Exenatide helps the body in several ways: it boosts insulin production when you eat, lowers how much sugar the liver makes, slows down digestion so sugar enters the blood more gradually, and helps people feel full longer, which can reduce how much they eat.
Together, these effects not only help lower blood sugar but also support weight loss and reduce blood pressure—two other important goals for people managing Type 2 diabetes.
The study, published in the journal Diabetes Care and led by Dr. Serge Jabbour, found no unexpected safety issues with the drug combination. This makes it a promising option for people who need more than just metformin to control their diabetes. The results offer hope for patients looking for a treatment that works well and keeps working over time.
In short, for people with Type 2 diabetes who are finding it harder to manage their blood sugar with metformin alone, the combination of dapagliflozin and exenatide could be a game-changer.
It offers strong, long-term benefits—not only for blood sugar control but also for weight and blood pressure—without added safety concerns. As diabetes continues to affect millions around the world, this kind of treatment strategy may help more people live healthier, more balanced lives.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about 5 vitamins that may prevent complication in diabetes, and how to manage high blood pressure and diabetes with healthy foods.
For more health information, please see recent studies about vitamin D and type2 diabetes, and to people with type 2 diabetes, some fruits are better than others.
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