Treatment with children who have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes with metformin or insulin cannot stop the regression of beta cells.
The incidence of type 2 diabetes is increasing worldwide, and researchers are looking to find ways to prevent it: by studying beta cell dysfunction, the development of insulin resistance and the effects of age on it.
According to the results of the American Low Carb program, insulin resistance in adults can be stopped with proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. A diet rich in fiber, complex carbohydrates and unsaturated fats, as well as regular exercise, helped Low Carb participants to abandon medical care and start the remission of diabetes in the body.
Like adults, children have also been involved in studies of the effects of a low-carb diet on diabetes. Although the results show weight loss and improved blood sugar control, there are too few clinical studies to draw any conclusions.
A new, more complete study conducted by Yale University in New Haven enrolled 91 children (aged 10-19 years) who were overweight or obese due to type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance.
The researchers randomly divided the subjects into two groups: in the first group, the subjects received injections of insulin Lantus (glargine) for three months, followed by metformin for another 3 months, and in the second group, the subjects received treatment with metformin alone for 1 year.
Today, metformin is the world's most widely used oral antihyperglycemic drug for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It helps lower blood sugar, while insulin can be used by those who have tried to control blood sugar through diet, lifestyle changes and other medications.
Over a 15-month period, the researchers monitored the subjects' blood sugar and beta cell function. No treatment slowed or stopped the progression of type 2 diabetes in each group, and beta cell deterioration continued despite treatment.
Lead author Sonia Caprio and co-authors argued that the lack of effectiveness of the drugs may be due to the more aggressive nature of type 2 diabetes in young people. Also, the author added that new drugs aimed at overcoming insulin resistance in young people may become necessary for life.
The results were published online in the journal Diabetes Care.
