UVA Health shares new treatment options for patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WRIC) -- University of Virginia (UVA) Health diabetes experts are highlighting new treatment options for those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, including informed eating habits, a glucose monitor and exercise.

With nearly 40% of patients diagnosed with this particular type of diabetes at risk of stopping their medication within the first year, according to UVA, a recent paper written by diabetes experts encourages doctors to find other methods that patients may be more likely to stick with long-term.

The free paper was written by Daniel J. Cox, PhD, who is part of the school's Center for Diabetes Technology, as well as Tamara K. Oser, Catherine Varney and Anthony L. McCall.

"Prescribing a medication or making lifestyle recommendations that a patient is not willing or able to follow for any reason is not likely to lead to improvements in diabetes outcomes,” the authors note in the paper. “The best treatment is one that is easy to implement and sustainable for the patient.”

The paper emphasizes that, rather than just telling patients what to do, they should work collaboratively by learning about patient preferences and lifestyle needs. Cox and the other authors also recommend offering a continuous glucose monitor, which is taped to the skin.

Medicines and drugs known as “GLP-1 receptor agonists,” such as Ozempic, are popular among patients due to their weight-loss benefits, UVA said. However, Cox said there are other ways to control a diabetic's blood sugar level, including lifestyle changes called "Glucose Everyday Matters" (GEM), which aims to prevent blood-sugar spikes by making informed eating choices and well-timed exercise.

In one study, two-thirds of participants went into remission using the approach, according to UVA.

“Patients and significant others being personally engaged in whatever approach taken is critical,” said Cox, who has developed an innovative lifestyle-intervention program that is among the options described in the paper. “Nothing works if it is not followed consistently, while most approaches will have some benefits if followed consistently for the duration of diabetes – a lifetime.”

Cox has been conducting a large clinical trial testing the GEM program with those diagnosed with type 2 diabetes over the last two years.

For more information on the trial, call 434-422-2653.