The basis of treating type 2 diabetes is getting rid of overweight as well as adopting healthy eating habits and exercise that support the regulation of blood sugar and healthy coronary arteries. Some patients manage to bring their blood sugar to a normal level through effective lifestyle management and approximately 10 to 15 % weight loss.
For most, treating blood sugar with drugs starts when they are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. If your blood sugar is only slightly elevated, your glycated haemoglobin HbA1c is below 53 mmol/mol and you are showing no signs of arterial disease or organ changes resulting from diabetes, the initial aim can be to correct your blood sugar level by means of effective lifestyle management and losing extra weight in a 3–6 months of follow-up. The goal of lifestyle treatment is to achieve diabetes remission, which means blood glucose levels below the diabetes threshold without long-term medication.
The medication and eating and exercise habits that support blood sugar regulation, weight loss and weight control, are mutually supplementary. As the clinical picture, underlying disorders and progress of type 2 diabetes as well as heart and kidney functions are all individual, the medication is also planned individually. When it comes to medication, it is recommended to use products, which promote weight control, do not result in your blood sugar level dropping too low and have a beneficial effect on the health of your heart as well as your kidney functions.
In most cases, the primary drug is metformin. The medication is readily intensified with an SGLT2 inhibitor or products that boost or increase the effect of intestinal hormones. In injection therapy, the most common primary alternatives are GLP-1 products. If your blood sugar cannot be brought to the target level with lifestyle treatment and these medicines, insulin therapy will be started.