If blood glucose does not reach the target even after lifestyle interventions, medication needs to be considered. The medications used to treat diabetes include two categories: oral and injectable. Oral medications are usually used to lower blood sugar first, and if they are not effective, insulin injectable therapy is considered. Some patients may also need oral medications combined with insulin therapy.
Common oral medications
Insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion are causes of type 2 diabetes. Oral hypoglycemic drugs can target the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes, and physicians will choose the appropriate drug by combining the effectiveness of the drug in lowering glucose, the severity of the disease, and the economic level.
Common insulins
Insulin is an important tool to control high blood sugar and can be simply divided into short-acting insulin, intermediate-acting insulin, long-acting insulin, premixed insulin, and the following are commonly used insulins in China.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists
Separated into short-acting and long-acting inhibitors, they are particularly suitable for people with obesity and significant insulin resistance, but are contraindicated in people with a history of pancreatitis.
