It is estimated that seven per cent, 20.8 million people, of the American population has diabetes . This disease is now the fifth highest cause of death in the US, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
However a popular diabetes treatment that is used to help diabetics, Byetta, may not be effective for all sufferers.
The reason in part is because the active ingredient, exenatide is a manufactured version of a protein found in the saliva of the Gila Monster.
It works by lowering blood glucose levels by upping the amount of insulin produced by the body, when it is needed. At the same time the production of the hormone glucagons is suppressed as this would stimulate the re-release of glucose from the liver.
Byetta also slows the rate of food absorbed from the stomach so preventing blood sugar levels to spike and triggering that feeling full sensation.
The treatment is normally prescribed to those with type 2 diabetes for whom oral medication isn’t enough to control their blood glucose levels.
For about 90 per cent of type 2 diabetes sufferers the body doesn’t produce enough insulin or the cells can’t use it properly.
For healthy people the body can break down carbohydrate foods into glucose which goes into the bloodstream. In return the pancreas releases the hormone, insulin so helping move the sugar from the blood in the cells, it is then used as an energy source.
For type 2 diabetes patients this process doesn’t work properly.
The Byetta treatment is not suitable for type 1 patients as it is a non-insulin treatment and type 1 diabetics do not produce insulin naturally, which is why they have to inject insulin.
As with most medicines, Byetta does have some side effects such as nausea and vomiting, it can cause hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) if taken with sulfonylurea oral diabetes medicine, as well as diarrhoea, dizziness, headaches, weight loss and a reduced appetite.
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