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Monday, May 01, 2006
Dumaguing: Euglo Plus is best made even better
By Dr. Victor Dumaguing
EUGLUCON is probably the most reliable and efficacious oral anti-diabetes drug used in the control of elevated blood sugar. Euglucon, through it 35 years of use, has been the most remarkable, if not the original trade name of Glibenclamide.
Glibenclamide is one of the first sulfonylureas formulated -- a big family of medicine that served as an alternative to injectable insulin. Right after doctors Banting and Best co-discovered insulin (earlier called isletin, in reference to the origin of the hormone, the beta cells of the Islets of Langerhans of the pancreas), there was an enormous improvement in the management of high blood sugar and urine sugar of diabetic patients. However, since the insulin drug then was derived from bovine sources, there were a lot of untoward allergic and hypersensitivity reactions, which made physicians as well as patients cautious about its continued use. Add to that the inconvenience and pain of the insulin injections, which to most patients had to be administered twice a day, the search for oral and equally effective anti-diabetes drug became an urgent and logical necessity.
Sulfonylureas are big family of oral anti-diabetes drugs, which exert their effects as insulin secretagogues i.e., the drugs stimulate and enhance the secretion and release of insulin from the remaining beta cells of the diabetic patients. Sulfonylureas are indicated for type 2 diabetes mellitus, often times called also as adult-onset diabetes or maturity-onset diabetes.
Biguanides are another big family of anti-diabetes drug, which like the sulfonylureas, are taken orally and have been proven to help lower the elevated blood sugar in diabetes. The mechanism of action of biguanides is to increase the utilization of sugar of glucose by the peripheral tissues, most notably, the skeletal muscles. Among the biguanides, the most popular is metfromin, because it has the least incidence of the occurrence of the purported side effect of biguanide use, which is lactic acidosis.
At present, about 20 million Americans are diabetic and about two million Filipinos are afflicted with the disease. Epidemiologists, statisticians and clinicians are one in saying that at the rate the disease is occurring, there would be about 300 million diabetics by the year 2025, affecting both developed as well as third world countries. Off these, 90 percent would have type 2 diabetes mellitus. Of course, the incidence could be much higher because of the increasing number of elderly and overweight or obese people.
Diabetic's bodies are unable to control the excess amounts of sugar in their blood. Over time, elevated sugar levels can cause damage throughout the body, making diabetics prone to a variety of health problems that include blindness, kidney requires amputations and most seriously, heart attacks and stroke. Research and clinical practice now show that diabetics who tightly control their blood sugar can cut tremendously the risks of diabetes complications and may live a fruitful, meaningful healthy life like the rest of us.
Euglo Plus, the drug that is decidedly a plus factor in diabetes control. Each film-coated, scored table of Euglo Plus contains 2.5 Glibenclamide and 400 mg of metformin. Based on recommendation of endocrinologists and diabetologists, sulfonylurea and metformin are the standard drugs as well as first-line of treatment for type 2 diabetes. The long history of diabetes treatment has also shown that less patients respond to mono-therapy (use of only one drug) in long-term use. Taking a cue from the proclamation of UKPDS (United Kingdom Diabetes Study) that diabetes is a progressive disease, therefore, it stands to reason that a diabetic patient would achieve only optimum control of blood sugar if two active agents or even more are combined.
Just like other drugs, Euglo Plus use carries with it some potential side effects. The physician is well aware of the "hypoglycemic" (sugar lowering effects) of sulfonylureas and the "anti-hyperglycemic effects of metformin". Thus, it is wise to warn the patients not to take the medicine if they had not breakfasted. There may also be some interactions with other drugs the patient is taking. Also, those with compromised kidney function must be evaluated carefully before starting them with the drug. Your friendly family physician would be able to individualize your need as well as the dose of Euglo Plus, the maximum dose of which per day is four tablets. The table is taken with little water without chewing.
All said, Euglo Plus comes to the fore as a very reliable and efficacious agent to control wayward blood sugar with a significant reduction in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), flexibility and convenience in usage and as an added bonus, a price that is patient-friendly.
Put a plus in your diabetes control. Ask your doctor about Euglo Plus! Next week: care of the diabetic foot.
(May 1, 2006 issue)
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