Standard medication can help get your blood sugar down, this only works if accompanied with lifestyle shifts such as healthy nutrition and physical activity.Living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) can be tough, requiring consistency, discipline, and a clear plan for achieving the treatment  goals  that  doctors  advise  patients  to  pursue.

“It was never an easy disease to begin with, early intervention comes alongside a deeper understanding of the need for comprehensive solutions for T2DM patients, comprising  lifestyle  adjustments  as  well  as  pharmacological  treatment,”  says  Dr.Bobby Mirasol, Former President of Philippine Society of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism (PSEDM) & ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies (AFES).

Dapagliflozin is a novel treatment for type 2 diabetes that prevents the kidneys from absorbing sugar and releases excess glucose through the urine instead. Because of this mechanism, doctors may prescribe it on its own, or as a complementary drug that acts independently of insulin therapy.

In clinical trials, dapagliflozin performed at par with or slightly better than leading  diabetes medications. According to the International Journal of Clinical Practice, the results  strongly  indicate  a  significant  reduction  of  blood  sugar  throughout  the spectrum of type 2 diabetes.

Available in the Philippines since 2014, dapaglifllozin has been used to effectively treat more than 20,000 Filipinos with type 2 diabetes

Dr. Rima Tan, President of Diabetes Philippines, believes that the drug’s far-reaching therapeutic value can give patients a fair shot at a better life

“Dapagliflozin has been lauded for a reducing blood sugar levels of patients with additional health benefits,” she says. “Patients routinely show weight loss and loweroverall  blood  pressure,  which  is  a  great for  patients  struggling  with  the  lifestyle adjustments necessary for managing type 2 diabetes.

”Patients are expected to maintain these benefits over time, and this allows patients to  gradually  ease  into  appropriate  lifestyle  changes.  This  generally  promises  a smoother therapeutic experience that’s both effective and ultimately empowering.

Interest in dapagliflozin has also been fuelled by the looming threat of diabesity, acomorbidity that is particularly common among Filipinos, and that amplifies the risk of developing complications such as heart disease, kidney disease, and blindness.

Diabesity is a two-fold struggle that not only deals with type 2 diabetes, but also has a deep-seated relationship with obesity. The two are so closely intertwined that up to85% of grossly overweight individuals end up developing type 2 diabetes in their lifetime, which in turn increases the chance of aggravating obesity depending on the type of medication taken.

Doctors however are hopeful that with the dapagliflozzin, presently the only available SGLT2 treatment  in  the  market  in  the  Philippines,  diabesity  can be successfully addressed.

“It’s  an uphill  battle at first,  but with the right support and dedication, diabesity is something we can all  beat together,” says Dr. Mirasol. “While it’s amazing that we have a drug that finally addresses these particular facets of the diabetic experience, we should never forget the value of good old-fashioned support.”

Pharmaceutical  giant  AstraZeneca  is  among  the  biggest  supporters  of  the  fight against type 2 diabetes, going all out with the development of holistic diabetic caresolutions covering practical health support from doctors, nutritionists, and physical fitness experts along with dapagliflozin treatment.

They have also lobbied for healthier lifestyle changes in patients with T2DM with activities like The Road to a Sweet Life that seek to couple drug treatment with the adoption of positive health habits like proper dieting, and adequate physical activity.

With  these  available  innovative  intervention  and  the  multi-stakeholder  approach, people with diabetes can now have better quality of life than ever before. 

“If you are living with diabetes, it’s important to make choices that keep you and your loved ones healthy,” says Dr.  Emmanuel Arca, Associate Medical and Regulatory Affairs Director of AstraZeneca Philippines. “It will take concrete changes in lifestyle to bring great success in managing diabetes.”

For more information, visit http://www.astrazeneca.com