Type 2 diabetes is a long-term condition that affects how the body controls blood sugar.
It develops when the body does not use insulin properly, causing sugar to build up in the blood. Over time, high blood sugar can damage the heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves if it is not well managed.
Many people with type 2 diabetes begin treatment with metformin. This medicine helps lower blood sugar and is often the first drug doctors prescribe.
However, as the disease progresses, metformin alone may no longer be enough, and extra treatment may be needed.
A new study suggests that using two diabetes medicines together may provide better long-term control than adding only one new medicine. The research was led by scientists at Thomas Jefferson University and was published in the journal Diabetes Care.
The study included 695 adults with type 2 diabetes whose blood sugar remained too high despite taking metformin.
The participants were divided into three groups. One group added the weekly injection exenatide, another took the daily tablet dapagliflozin, and the third group received both medicines together while continuing metformin.
The researchers followed the participants for two years. People who received both exenatide and dapagliflozin achieved better blood sugar control than those taking only one of the medicines. The benefits also lasted throughout the study, which is important for a condition that requires lifelong treatment.
The two medicines help lower blood sugar in different ways. Dapagliflozin helps the kidneys remove extra sugar from the body through urine and does not depend on insulin to work. Exenatide increases insulin release after meals, slows digestion, reduces sugar production by the liver, and helps people feel full for longer, which can support weight loss.
Because the medicines work in different ways, using them together produced greater benefits. In addition to lowering blood sugar, participants also lost weight and had healthier blood pressure, both of which are important for reducing the risk of diabetes-related health problems.
The researchers also found that the treatment combination was safe during the two-year trial. No unexpected safety problems or new side effects were reported.
Lead researcher Dr. Serge Jabbour said the findings could change the way many people with type 2 diabetes are treated. For patients whose blood sugar is not well controlled with metformin alone, adding both medicines may offer a more effective option than using either drug by itself.
Although more research will continue to examine the best ways to treat type 2 diabetes, these findings provide encouraging evidence that combining medicines with different actions can improve long-term blood sugar control while also helping with weight and blood pressure.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about the cooking connection between potatoes and diabetes, and low calorie diets may help reverse type 2 diabetes.
For more health information, please see recent studies about protein power: a new ally in diabetes management, and pineapple and diabetes: A sweet surprise.
