Types of diabetes mellitus
Diabetes occurs in two types. Both are manifested as a deficiency of sugar to cells comprising muscle, fat and other organs. In both types of diabetes this lack of sugar in body cells corresponds to a surplus in sugar in the blood. However, the surplus of blood sugar is caused by two different processes.
In a non-diabetic, insulin promotes transfer of sugar from blood to tissue cells. In a type I diabetic, insulin is not produced at all. Injections of insulin after each meal ensure that sugar is absorbed properly by tissue cells. By contrast, in a type II diabetic, insulin is produced (albeit in reduced quantities), but the body has built up a resistance to it. Sometimes, injecting insulin may help, but this does not solve the problem as neatly as it would in a type I diabetic. A more common tactic is changing lifestyle and diet to decrease insulin resistance and increase insulin production.
Diabetes Medication
Medicating a type II diabetic can often have salubrious effects, reducing the insulin resistance of body cells. With cells more able to absorb nutrients, the diabetic has a wider range of foods that can be consumed. This, combined with a less restrictive diet and dieting schedule, translates to a much increased quality of life for many diabetics on medication.
One such medication is pioglitazone. Commonly sold under the name “Actos”, this drug acts on liver, adipose and muscle cells. It causes an increased sensitivity to insulin in those cells, and simultaneously decreases blood sugar. It would seem like Actos is a silver bullet to type II diabetes, but this silver lining is not without its cloud. While virtually all medicines carry the risk of side effects, some people think Actos side effects are severe enough to justify an Actos recall.
Actos Side Effects
Because pioglitazone is primarily active on muscle, fat and liver cells, many of the side effects are seen in these areas. But Actos side effects are also seen in the respiratory, urinary and skeletal systems. Just about the only systems to be unaffected by Actos are the reproductive, lymphatic and nervous systems. However, due to the recent development of the drug, and the extremely recent Actos recall in France and Germany, it remains to be seen whether Actos side effects are indeed not applicable to these latter systems.
Some common side effects include an edema of the subcutaneous tissue. This, while relatively harmless, is unsightly and can be painful. Other Actos side effects include shortness of breath, weight gain (due to an increase in nutrients to adipose tissue) and heart failure.
Cancer
A final reason for an Actos recall is that patients using Actos for more than one year are potentially at risk for bladder cancer. This type of information should not be discovered by the general public but the company that develops the drug, during testing and clinical trials. While cancer should definitely be diagnosed by a trained medical doctor, some early indications include blood in urine, painful or difficult urination and lower back and abdominal pain. Those who have used Actos for more than one year and exhibit signs of bladder cancer are encouraged to seek legal counsel.
Source
Mayoclinic.com
Robert Wilson - I am a professional writer that has written for a variety of websites around the internet. I have written for blogs and news websites.
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