Bryan Betty: New medications for type 2 diabetes - Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

What is Type 2 diabetes? 

• Body not able to control sugars – sugars become  in body high 

• Basically due to the pancreas wearing out over time not producing enough insulin or insulin becoming ineffective. 
• We are seeing more cases in younger people especially Māori and Pacific. 

How big a problem is it and what harm to the body does it cause? 

• Thought to be approximately 300,000 in NZ living with type 2 diabetes. 

• Health system cost 2.1 billion year – 0.67% GDP! 
• Individual cost: increased rates renal failure, heart disease, blindness, leg amputation, if not controlled. 

What are the new medications? 

• Diet, exercise and  weight reduction  central to treatment. Medications are needed such as metformin and insulin.   

• Now available two new medications: 
• Read more