Early medication treatments improve diabetes outcomes

A prescription to buy Actos may deliver important results when taken soon after a diabetes diagnosis. A new study has found that type 2 diabetics who begin medication treatment immediately typically have favorable outcomes.

The recommendations of the researchers mark a break from traditional guidelines. Typically, newly diagnosed diabetics are advised to improve their diet and get more exercise. These lifestyle changes are thought to be favorable compared to medications.

However, the UT Southwest Medical Center researchers who conducted the present study said this approach may needlessly expose patients to high levels of blood sugar, which is a major health risk factor.

In the study, the researchers administered a number of different medications intended to improve blood sugar control to a group of 58 diabetics who were recently diagnosed. After tracking the participants' health for six years, the team found that individuals typically had greater ability to naturally produce insulin than diabetics who were not treated with drugs.

The team said the findings provide compelling evidence that it is possible to change the direction of disease progression in diabetics. Aggressive treatments may be the key to this.