Running head: DIABETES AND DRUG TREATMENT
1
Diabetes and Drug Treatment
Walden University
NURS-6521N-44, Advanced Pharmacology
February 2019
DIABETES AND DRUG TREATMENT
2
Diabetes and Drug Treatment
More than 30 million individuals in the U.S. have type 2 diabetes that creates a
significant societal burden. With an increased rate of obesity in the U.S. the rate of prediabetes is
high and poses an increased risk of progression to diabetes with time. Diabetes particularly type
2 is a progressive disease. Diabetes if left untreated can cause severe alterations in multiple organ
functions and disability. There are several methods for the management of diabetes that can
impact the progression of the disease. Therefore, it is essential that advanced practice nurse be
knowledgeable about various treatment plans for patients with diabetes. The purpose of this
paper is to explain differences between different types of diabetes, describe type 2 diabetes,
drugs that can be used to manage this type of diabetes, and include short-term and long-term
impact of diabetes on patients.
Pathophysiology of Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes mellitus is a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism that can be divided into Type
1 and Type 2. With Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) also called juvenile or insulin-dependent
diabetes, the pancreas doesn’t produce any insulin and most common onset in children from 9
months to 12 years (Huether & McCance, 2017). Type 1 diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune
disease mostly found in Asians and African Americans (Huether & McCance, 2017). In type 1
DM slow progression of T-cell-mediated disease that destroys beta cells in the pancreas which
are responsible for the production of insulin. According to Huether and McCance (2017), genetic
is the most common factor for the prevalence of Type 1 DM. Other factors include other
autoimmune diseases, such as celiac, Graves, Hashimoto, and Addison (Huether & McCance,
2017).
