Author: Dr Deepa G MHSc (Diab), Dip (Diab)
Diabetes is a disease which affects multiple organs in the body. It can affect the eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, brain, and arteries of the legs. In people with diabetes, damage to various organs is caused by high blood glucose, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, and smoking. No medicines used for glucose control have been linked to any diabetes complications.
In fact, some of the medicines which are used to manage diabetes have been found to reduce the risk of developing various diabetes complications. Certain drugs like Liraglutide, Semaglutide and Dulaglutide have been found to reduce weight and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease including heart attacks and stroke. It has also been found to have benefits for fatty liver disease.
Commonly used drugs like Dapagliflozin, Empagliflozin and Canagliflozin have been associated with reduced risk of progression of kidney disease, heart disease and heart failure. Pioglitazone, another commonly used medicine, has been found to have benefits in fatty liver disease.