DIABETES
It is well known by our diabetic patients that obesity is an important factor to fight and that we are always behind the cardiac and renal protection since diabetic nephropathy (kidney damage due to diabetes), ischemic heart disease (infarction due to obstruction of an artery of the heart) and heart failure are known complications of this disease.
Endocrinology is witnessing important changes in the treatment of diabetes. In the last 10 years we have a family of drugs called "GLP-1 receptor agonists" that have shown reductions in body weight of more than 10%, with a substantial and sustained improvement in the control of diabetes. Some of them have also been shown to reduce major cardiovascular events, this means cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and cerebral ischemic stroke; and diabetic nephropathy (kidney damage caused by diabetes).
These drugs act like GLP-1 itself. GLP-1 means peptide similar to glucagon type 1 and occurs normally in all people in the intestine. By using a drug that acts as GLP-1 we can stimulate insulin secretion and suppress glucagon secretion, which leads to a better function of the pancreas.
In addition, these treatments induce satiety and better control of intake, with decreased anxiety to eat which leads to significant reductions in weight, something very important in cases of diabetes associated with obesity.
The endocrines always see our patients in an integral way, we do not see only a diabetes but a person with all its problems: diabetes, obesity, hypertension, vascular risk and nowadays the new treatments help us with this integral approach.
If you wonder if any of these drugs may be useful for you, do not hesitate to ask us, your endocrinology team is here to help you and recommend the best therapeutic option depending on your problems.
Contact Quirónsalud Hospital for more information.
