Diabetes: what is it, what can you do yourself and how can the pharmacy help?

What is diabetes?

Diabetes is a chronic condition in which your body does not properly regulate blood sugar (glucose). Glucose is an important source of energy for the body, but when there is too much or too little glucose in your blood, health problems can occur. This can even lead to long-term damage to the heart, eyes, kidneys and nerves.

What types of diabetes are there?

There are several types of diabetes, but the most common are type 1 and type 2.

1. Diabetes type 1: This type usually occurs in adolescents and children. It is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own cells that produce insulin. People with type 1 diabetes need to inject insulin daily to maintain their blood sugar.
2. Diabetes type 2: This type occurs mostly in adults, but nowadays increasingly in young people partly due to unhealthy lifestyles. In type 2, the body still produces insulin, but not enough, or the body's cells no longer respond to it properly. This type is often preventable or slowed with lifestyle changes, such as healthy eating and adequate exercise.
3. Pregnancy diabetes: Some women develop diabetes during pregnancy. This is usually temporary, but can put both the mother and child at increased long-term risk for type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes; how do the drugs work?

• Metformin: This drug reduces the amount of glucose produced by the liver and helps your body respond better to insulin. This keeps your blood sugar under better control.
• Sulfonylurea derivatives (e.g., gliclazide, glibenclamide): These drugs stimulate the pancreas to make more insulin. This causes your body to have more insulin to lower blood sugar.
• DPP-4 inhibitors (e.g., sitagliptin, linagliptin): These drugs make certain hormones stay active longer, which helps to release more insulin and reduce the production of sugar in the liver.
• GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., liraglutide, exenatide): These medications stimulate the release of insulin when your blood sugar is high, inhibit your appetite and slow gastric emptying, which helps regulate your blood sugar.
• SGLT2 inhibitors (e.g., dapagliflozin, empagliflozin): These medications cause excess sugar to be eliminated through the urine, lowering your blood sugar and causing your body to absorb less sugar.
• Insulin: This is a hormone that helps your body absorb sugar from the blood and use it as energy. If your body does not make enough insulin itself, insulin injection can help control your blood sugar.

Tips for medication use

• Metformin: Take with food to avoid stomach upset.
• Insulin: Change injection sites to avoid skin irritation.
• GLP-1 receptor agonists: Follow directions for use carefully and discuss side effects with your doctor.

How can we help you further?

On this website you will find more detailed information about diabetes, how we can support you from the pharmacy and with what medication:

Questions?

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