Written by: Faith Connors
Edited by: Charukesi Sivakumar, Mithcell Witt, Jeremy Chen, Ryan Schildcrout
Illustrated by: Courtney Myers
Diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in the U.S. and is ranked as the 7th leading cause of death. The National Diabetes Statistics Report from the CDC estimates that 12% of the U.S. population has diabetes, with the majority of these cases being type 2 diabetes. This disease is often a lifelong illness that can be a huge financial burden for patients and can negatively affect their quality of life. For example, in 2017, the CDC found that the average annual out-of-pocket cost for diabetes-related expenses was $4,600, and it was the most common cause of non-traumatic limb amputation. Diabetes is characterized by chronic high blood glucose levels. In 2005, a new class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) was approved by the FDA for treating diabetes. GLP-1 RAs have gotten a lot of attention in the media as being a new standout treatment for diabetes. They are not only more effective at controlling blood sugar than previous drugs on the market, but they also have wide-ranging benefits for metabolic health that have made them a new cornerstone treatment for patients. Here we will focus on the underlying pathological mechanisms of type 2 diabetes, and what GLP-1 RAs do differently than other diabetes drugs that have made them standout.
Continue reading “Understanding Type 2 Diabetes: From Disease Mechanisms to Modern Treatments”
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