Treatment of diabetes mellitus

Treatment of diabetes mellitus
The pancreas produces the peptide hormones insulin, glucagon, and somatostatin. The peptide hormones are secreted from cells in the islets of Langerhans (? cells produce insulin, ? cells produce glucagon, and ? cells produce somatostatin). These hormones play an important role in regulating metabolic activities of the body, particularly glucose homeostasis.
Diabetes mellitus : is a heterogeneous group of syndromes characterized by elevated blood glucose attributed to a relative or absolute deficiency of insulin.
Normal mean blood glucose is approximately 115 mg/dL or less (HbA1c < 5.7%).

Clinical classifications of diabetes:
1- Type 1 diabetes (formerly insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus),
2- Type 2 diabetes (formerly non– insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus),
3- Gestational diabetes
4- Diabetes due to other causes such as genetic defects or medications.
Type 1 diabetes
The disease characterized by an absolute deficiency of insulin due to destruction of ? cells. Loss of ?-cell function results from autoimmune-mediated processes that may be triggered by viruses or other environmental toxins
Treatment: A person with type 1 diabetes must rely on exogenous insulin to control hyperglycemia
Type 2 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes characterized by a lack of sensitivity of target organs to insulin. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas retains some ?-cell function, but insulin secretion is insufficient to maintain glucose homeostasis.
Treatment : Weight reduction, exercise, and dietary modification decrease insulin resistance and correct hyperglycemia in some patients with type 2 diabetes. However, most patients require pharmacologic intervention with oral glucose-lowering agents. As the disease progresses, ?-cell function declines and insulin therapy is often needed to achieve satisfactory glucose levels