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Could hypoglycaemia soon be a thing of the past?

A young scientist in the US has developed a non-insulin drug for people with type two diabetes that could help eliminate the risk of low-blood glucose hypos.

Some people with type two diabetes use insulin to keep their blood glucose levels in check.

If blood-glucose levels become too low, hypoglycaemia can occur and this can be life-threatening.

To combat this, Arnab De, a scientist with a PhD in microbiology and immunology at Columbia University, developed a non-insulin drug in collaboration with fellow scientist Richard DiMarchi of Indiana University.

“We find that there is a peptide hormone in the gut called GLP1 that increases the secretion of insulin only when the blood glucose is high,” Dr De said.

“This effectively eliminates the risk of hypoglycemic shock. Another advantage is that GLP1 administration has been found to stimulate weight-loss.

“The hormone offers the promise of revolutionising the treatment of type two diabetes and reduce obesity.”

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