A PILL which slashes blood sugar levels and offers hope to millions of diabetes sufferers has been launched in the UK.
The breakthrough treatment is being unveiled at the same time that the drug watchdog has recommended it for use on the NHS.
Experts say the drug, canagliflozin, which is taken once a day, is a vital new weapon in the battle against the Type 2 diabetes epidemic and its devastating complications.
It reduces blood sugar levels in people for whom diet and lifestyle measures or other blood sugar-lowering medicines do not work well enough, say the manufacturers Janssen.
The drug, also called Invokana, blocks the re-absorption of glucose in the kidneys, which is instead passed in the urine.
Professor Anthony Barnett, Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of Birmingham, said: “We are seeing a growing number of people with Type 2 diabetes which can have the extremely serious consequences of heart attack, stroke, blindness, kidney failure and amputations. Canagliflozin, which can offer patients significant reductions in blood sugar levels whilst not increasing risks of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugars), represents an important new option in the management of a major UK epidemic.”
From an Express article here.
Check out this "wonder drug" here. It come with a huge amount of possible side effects and reduction is BG is next to nothing, and as you will see the placebo improved BG more than the wonder drug at times.
Eddie
3 comments:
Hi Eddie!
Not to worry though when it comes to the drugs side effects eh?-I'm sure there's other drugs that folks can take on top to help with those! {Sigh}
Paul
From what I can remember, glucose constantly being excreted by the kidneys (as it will be in those patients it will be targeted for this drug) will eventually damage them. Faster or slower that uncontrolled diabetes? Who knows.
Hi Libby
I agree!-The main problem I believe long term is that glucose molecules are larger than the kidneys Nephron filters can tolerate without damaging them.
Certainly not a good situation to self induce via a medication-far better to eliminate the starchy carbs in the diet so BG levels don't exceed the renal threshold or require the medication in the first place.
Paul
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