Type 2 diabetes occurs as people age, particularly if they weigh more than normal for their body types. Obesity figures heavily into the development of the disease. In a normal body system, the pancreas produces the hormone insulin, which works to make the glucose or sugar in the bloodstream useful to the body. When too much sugar exists or not enough insulin exists to balance it, Type 2 diabetes occurs.
Biguanides
Biguanides work to reduce the amount of glucose in the blood. The most common medication of this drug class, metformin, functions to decrease the speed of the release of glucose from the liver, thus reducing the amount of it in the blood at any one time. This allows the insulin produced in the pancreas to become more effective in balancing the action of glucose in the body. MayoClinic.com says that metformin generally loses its effectiveness over time, so the physician may add another medication to it or replace metformin with something else.
Sulfonylureas
Instead of decreasing glucose levels in the blood directly, sulfonylureas induce the pancreas to raise the level of its insulin production. By raising insulin levels to normal, these types of drugs help the diabetic regain the balance with glucose and thus gain control over diabetes Type 2. No cure exists for the disease, however. Sulfonylureas include drugs such as glyburide and glipizide.
Thiazolidinediones
Thiazolidinediones, also called T-Z-Ds or glitazones include rosiglitazone and pioglitazone. They also work by making the body more sensitive to insulin, which allows the hormone to more effectively move glucose into the body cells for use.
Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 Inhibitors
The Cochrane Collaboration calls dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors such as vildagliptin and sitagliptin newer types of treatment for Type 2 diabetes. They work to reduce the loss of the function of beta cells that occurs typically as diabetes progresses. One of the advantages of DPP-4 inhibitors, according to studies reported by the Cochrane Collaboration, is less risk of hypoglycemia or a low blood sugar level. Hypoglycemia can occur with other medicines and can render the diabetic unconscious. It also can cause other health problems.
Meglitinides
Meglitinides such as nateglinide and repaglinide function to make the pancreas produce more insulin than it does on its own. This can help balance the levels of glucose.
Insulin
Although diabetes Type 2 often is referred to as non-insulin dependent diabetes, sufferers of the disease may, at some point, need to take injections of the hormone. When other medications do not create the necessary balance between insulin and glucose, doctors may prescribe insulin injections in serious cases.
