Diabetes and Drug Treatments Essay

Diabetes adds to the burden of chronic diseases in the developed world. Type 2 Diabetes is diagnosed in patients, whose organism either rejects insulin or does not produce it in the quantities needed to maintain a normal level of blood glucose. Contemporary pharmaceutical companies are actively involved in producing new drugs to improve the health and wellbeing of patients with Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes and Drug Treatments Essay

Repaglinide is one of many medications used for Type 2 Diabetes. Owens (1998) writes that this type of diabetes is associated with the unique patterns of insulin response to meals. “The mealtime insulin in patients with Type 2 Diabetes is blunted and delayed, whereas basal levels often remain within the normal range” (Owens, 1998, p. S28). Therefore, patients with Type 2 Diabetes need to restore normal or close-to-normal patterns of insulin secretion after mealtimes, but without additional secretion following the stage of postabsorption (Owens, 1998). Repaglinide was developed in response to the unique pathophysiological features of Type 2 Diabetes. It is derived from carbamoylmethyl benzoic acid, which is approved for use in medicine. The drug is absorbed within less than one hour, and it is rapidly deactivated in the liver (Owens, 1998). Diabetes and Drug Treatments Essay

Repaglinide is administered according to the patient’s mealtimes, with the total daily dose being adjusted for each meal (Owens, 1998). In other words, a patient with Diabetes Type 2 is expected to take a regular dose of Repaglinide 15-30 minutes before each meal. Using Repaglinide for skipped meals or taking two doses at once is not allowed. In case of an extra meal, an extra dose of Repaglinide should be administered. Owens (1998) confirms that Repaglinide is particularly suitable for patients with flexible lifestyles. However, its effectiveness decreases in the absence of dietary and physical activity interventions, which are strongly recommended for patients with Type 2 Diabetes.Diabetes and Drug Treatments Essay