Type 2 diabetes, also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes, as the name implies, can be treated without insulin injections, but at some point it should be treated with insulin instead. Many patients have concerns about insulin therapy, fearing that once they use it, they will become “dependent”, but whether they are dependent or not is a matter of pathogenesis and has nothing to do with the use of insulin. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the human body under normal circumstances, so it does not damage the liver and kidney function and other side effects, and is a very safe drug to lower blood sugar.
Patients with type 2 diabetes are mainly treated with insulin in the following cases: 1. When oral hypoglycemic drugs cannot effectively control blood sugar. The prerequisite for oral hypoglycemic drugs to control blood sugar is a certain amount of insulin secretion in the body. A study found that 50% of type 2 diabetes patients with the disease for more than 15 years will eventually choose insulin for effective blood glucose control due to a significant decline in pancreatic islet function. Since many patients with type 2 diabetes do not have obvious symptoms at the beginning of the disease and wait for many years before being diagnosed with diabetes, there are many people who must switch to insulin within a few years after the diagnosis of diabetes.
2.Serious complications have already appeared, when the switch to insulin can better control blood sugar. As we know, one of the main causes of diabetes complications is poor long-term blood sugar control, and insulin is the most physiological drug that can bring down blood sugar in the short term. In addition, a large number of studies have also shown that insulin itself has the effect of slowing down the progress of vascular complications.
3. Patients with liver and kidney diseases. Regardless of which oral hypoglycemic drugs are more or less metabolized by the liver and kidneys in order to be discharged from the body. If the liver and kidney function is not good, the drugs eaten can not be excreted in a timely manner, resulting in a continuous accumulation in the body, which may lead to serious side effects such as hypoglycemia.
4.When women are pregnant. Most oral hypoglycemic drugs will enter the fetus through the placenta and cause adverse effects on the little baby, so it is the ideal choice to switch to insulin at this time.
5.Serious infection, before and after surgery. In case of infection, the body will secrete many kinds of substances to “destroy pathogens and protect itself”, but these substances may cause an increase in blood sugar, making the original stable blood sugar difficult to control, and insulin is needed to control blood sugar at this time. The antibiotics used in infections may have hepatic and renal toxicity, such as streptomycin and rifampin used in tuberculosis patients, and oral hypoglycemic drugs are more or less metabolized by the liver and kidneys. In addition, insulin also has the effect of promoting wound healing.
In conclusion, patients with type 2 diabetes should not be afraid to switch to insulin therapy. The severity of diabetes does not depend on the use of insulin therapy, but on the presence of serious complications. Treatment with insulin can safely and effectively control blood glucose, avoid or delay the development of complications, and improve the quality of life.