Type 2 Diabetes - The Effect Of Diabetic Medications On Heart And Blood Vessel Disease!

Heart and blood vessel diseases are amongst the worst known complications associated with Type 2 diabetes. People diagnosed with this form of diabetes are prone to high cholesterol and blood fat levels which can cause blood vessels to become clogged.

When the coronary arteries become clogged, the heart muscle itself can become starved for oxygen and various nutrients. When that happens, the heart can slow down or beat with less force, or both. When the heart is unable to pump blood in sufficient quantities to feed the needs of the rest of the body, congestive heart failure develops. Blood that is unable to enter the heart because of congestion, backs up into the lungs which then become congested with fluid.

Exenatide, or Byetta, is a medication that mimics a kind of hormone known as an incretin. It stimulates the pancreas to release more insulin when the food just eaten starts to raise the blood sugar. So, Byetta stimulates insulin secretion when blood sugars have actually risen after your meal, and the insulin secretion should stop when they drop. It also decreases the production of sugar by the liver.

The latest studies on exenatide (Byetta) show that it could also prove a valuable tool in fighting heart disease.

In one such study, published in January 2012 in the journal Diabetologia, investigators at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden looked at how much blood the hearts of people with Type 2 diabetes were able to pump with and without exenatide. Twenty people with Type 2 diabetes were included in the study...
the hearts of these diabetics were found to be able to pump more blood while they took exenatide (Byetta) than when they took a placebo.this was because their hearts were able to beat faster. Pressure in their lungs was also reduced because the blood was able to flow out of their lungs and into their heart in a timely manner.

It was therefore concluded more study is definitely warranted on the effects of the drug exenatide on the heart.

Britain's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) published in October 2011 recommendations for the clinical use of Bydureon, a long-acting form of exenatide. The long-acting form of this particular medication must be injected only once. In January 2012 Bydureon was included in NICE's formulary for the National Health Service.

A study called EXSCEL, which includes more than 9000 diabetics, is scheduled to be completed in the year 2017. It aims to discover what use exenatide (Byetta) might have for the prevention and treatment of heart disease.

To discover answers to questions you may be asking yourself about Type 2 Diabetes, click on this link... Natural Diabetes Treatments

Type 2 Diabetes - Side Effects Of Oral Anti-Diabetic Medications

Metformin is prescribed for many people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes because it does a good job of lowering blood sugar. One of the side effects, however, is that it can lower levels of vitamin B12 and the B vitamin folate, or folic acid, as well as raising levels of a molecule called homocysteine. Homocysteine can cause oxidation, leading to cell damage.

Investigators at the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in Iran set out to discover whether giving people with Type 2 diabetes folate supplements could raise their:

vitamin B12 levels,lower homocysteine levels, andlower oxidation, andinflammation.

Their results were published in June 2011 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

Sixty-eight men with Type 2 diabetes were included in the study:

One group was given 5 mg per day of folic acid while another group was given a placebo for eight weeks.

the folate-supplemented group showed lowered homocysteine levels by the end of the study along with a raised antioxidant capacity and increased levels of folate and vitamin B12.the group taking folic acid also showed lowered levels of malondialdehyde, a toxin that can harm cells and is used to measure oxidative stress.the placebo group showed no changes.

Folic acid, also known as vitamin B9, and vitamin B12 are necessary for the bone marrow to make red blood cells. Lack of either vitamin can cause megaloblastic or macrocytic anemia, in which the bone marrow makes overly large, immature red blood cells.

Signs and symptoms of folic acid deficiency include:

tiredness,diarrhea,prematurely gray hair,mouth ulcers,poor growth, anda swollen tongue.

Signs and symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include:

weakness,light-headedness,pale skin,sore red tongue,bleeding gums,nausea,weight loss,diarrhea, andconstipation.

The recommended daily intake of folic acid is 4.0 mg per day for adults over 19 years of age. One cup of fortified breakfast cereal provides 2.0 to 4.0 mg of folate. A cup of spinach provides about 2.6 mg and a half-cup of lentils provides about 1.8 mg. Other foods with a good supply of folic acid include other beans and legumes, other dark green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits, wheat bran and whole grains.

The recommended daily intake of vitamin B12 is 2.4 micrograms. A cup of fortified breakfast cereal contains 1.5 micrograms of vitamin B12. Certain types of yeast are also available for providing vitamin B12.

Volunteers in the study were given 5.0 mg of folic acid per day; not 50. If one pill is good for you, two pills are likely to cause an overdose. Discuss with your doctor whether testing for folate deficiency is a good idea for you.

To discover answers to questions you may be asking yourself about Type 2 Diabetes, click on this link... Natural Diabetes Treatments