Did you know that there are new ways to treat type 2 diabetes? Many people are still unaware of the newest treatments available to manage this disease. If you have type 2 diabetes, your body isn’t properly responding to the hormone insulin.
Because of this, sugar builds up in your blood instead of being used for energy. Luckily, there are different medications and lifestyle changes that can help manage your disease and reduce symptoms.
This article lists several effective treatment options for type 2 diabetes, including Invokana, a new oral medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2015 for patients with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure who also have elevated levels of potassium in their blood (known as hyperkalemia).
What is Invokana?
Invokana is a new oral diabetes medication that helps lower blood sugar levels by increasing the amount of sugar your kidneys excrete in your urine. It’s used to treat type 2 diabetes in patients who are at least 25 years old and have high blood pressure (hypertension). It’s also used in people with type 2 diabetes and high blood potassium levels.
Invokana can be used in combination with other oral diabetes medications, including metformin, sulfonylurea, glitazone, and thiazolidinedione. It can also be used in combination with insulin or with certain diabetes pills (not SGLT-2 inhibitors) if you are taking an additional medication to treat your high blood pressure.
Orin Digital Foot-Pod and Invokana
Normally, people with diabetes wear a glucose monitor on their arm to track their blood sugar levels. But Invokana provides a new alternative: you can insert a tiny device (Ornitorb Continuous Glucose Monitoring System or “Orin”) into your foot to track blood sugar levels every 10 minutes. The Orin device is a small, fit-it-in-your-foot device that’s implanted below the skin.
It’s a small, fit-it-in-your-foot device that’s implanted below the skin. You’ll have the Orin device implanted by a trained healthcare provider. The device sends a continuous stream of data to a receiver that you wear on your belt or in your pocket.
What are the Benefits of Invokana?
Invokana has several benefits that make it a great option for people with type 2 diabetes. It’s a new diabetes treatment
This is the big one. With so many different medications on the market, it’s common for different treatments to be used together as part of a comprehensive diabetes management plan. And this is especially true for type 2 diabetes, which is more challenging to treat than type 1. It helps lower blood sugar. One of the primary reasons doctors prescribe Invokana is to lower blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
One way it does this is by encouraging your body to excrete glucose through the kidneys. It may Decrease Kidney Damage. Another side effect of type 2 diabetes is kidney damage. In people with diabetes, high blood pressure can also lead to further kidney damage. Invokana can help reduce blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes and therefore lower the risk of kidney damage.
How does Invokana Work?
Invokana helps lower blood sugar levels by increasing the amount of glucose your body excretes in the urine. The amount of glucose your kidneys get rid of depends on how much you eat and drink, as well as your body’s ability to process sugar. In type 2 diabetes, your body does not properly metabolize sugar, leading to high levels in your blood. Invokana works by increasing the amount of glucose that is excreted through the kidneys. This reduces the amount of glucose in your blood.
The most common side effects of Invokana include:
Urinary Tract Infections – Invokana can increase your risk of urinary tract infections (UTIs). You can reduce your risk of UTIs by practicing good hygiene and by drinking plenty of water.
Urinary Hesitancy – In some people, Invokana can cause a feeling of needing to urinate right away, increased urination, and an uncomfortable sensation of your bladder filling up. You can reduce these side effects by drinking plenty of water and reducing your caffeine intake.
Pancreatitis – Invokana can increase your risk of pancreatitis, a painful inflammation of the pancreas. You can reduce your risk of pancreatitis by maintaining a healthy body weight, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly.
Bottom Line: Using Invokana to Treat Type 2 Diabetes
The newest oral diabetes medication, Invokana, helps lower blood sugar levels by increasing the amount of glucose your kidneys get rid of in the urine. It can also help lower blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes, and reduce the risk of kidney damage. With so many benefits and few side effects, Invokana is a great option for people with type 2 diabetes. And if you have type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, Invokana can help lower both your blood sugar and blood pressure.