Diabetes Medications are Revolutionizing Health
Insights into diabetes therapies that are reshaping treatment for chronic conditions, from diabetes medication expert Dr. Sumera Ahmed.
Before 2022, the only people interested in diabetes medications were patients with the condition, endocrinologists, or diabetologists. When news that Ozempic, a relatively new drug in the U.S., was helpful for weight loss, all that changed.
“When you have type 2 diabetes, it causes increased risk of cardiovascular events like heart attack or stroke, so the research was looking into drugs that would not only help control blood glucose levels, but also prevent cardiovascular risk,” says Dr. Sumera Ahmed, Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health. “The more research data on these new diabetes medication formulations we get, the more it shows health benefits in ways that we were not aware of in the past. They show benefits to the heart and the kidneys, and we’re seeing even nephrologists and cardiologists prescribing them.”
There are 37.3 million people with diabetes in the U.S., about 11% of the population. Prior to the 2000s, if you had type 2 diabetes your only option was using metformin, and if it didn’t work you had to use insulin to regulate your blood sugar. Today, new classes of medications are available, like GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonists. In the last decade SGLT-2 (Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2) inhibitors have become available to offer people with type 2 diabetes even more options before having to resort to insulin. The medications work by either blocking the reabsorption of glucose by the kidneys and eliminating it through urine (SGLT-2), or by encouraging the body’s insulin production and hindering production of the hormone glucagon which increases blood sugar (GLP-1).
The most well-known of these medications is Ozempic, the brand name for semaglutide, a once weekly formulation in the GLP-1 class of diabetes drugs.
“Initially, the focus was mainly on diabetes, but if you look at the map for the progression of diabetes and obesity over the last 10 to 15 years, we see there’s been a significant increase in both obesity and diabetes growth in a parallel ratio,” says Ahmed.
The new class of drugs, when tested on people with obesity but without diabetes, showed efficacy with weight reduction, metabolic, and cardiovascular benefits according to Ahmed. These medications aren’t a standalone solution but work best in tandem with lifestyle changes in diet and exercise, warns Ahmed.
The way Ozempic or any of the GLP-1 RA works is that it suppresses appetite, enhances insulin sensitivity, and slows the movement of food through stomach. “We usually tell patients to eat small portions, because if they eat more than what their stomach can empty it out, nausea and vomiting can be a side effect of the medication,” says Ahmed.
These medications, while groundbreaking in their efficacy, underscore the necessity of healthy lifestyle choices.