There are different treatments for diabetes in as much as there are varied types of diabetes.  A patient that is dealing with type 1 diabetes will need  injections of insulin and eventually will be able to administer it on himself after a few guided sessions.  The less serious type 2 can be treated with medication, diet, or regular tests.  If you exercise regularly, lose excessive weight and plan your diet, this will greatly reduce the progress of the disease and help manage it.  Treatment of gestational diabetes aims at reducing risks for both mother and child.  Most pregnant women can manage their gestational diabetes though exercise and good diet.

There are various ways of managing type 1 diabetes.  For example, there is insulin replacement therapy either by injection or by pump.  It works very well when you pay attention to your diet by tracking your carbohydrate intake and carefully monitoring your blood glucose levels.

In extreme cases, a pancreas transplant can restore proper glucose regulation.  This is often only used as a last resort as continuous insulin replacement therapy is advised for use only under the strict guidance of a qualified medical practitioner.  This is recommended only when a kidney must also be transplanted or in cases where the patient’s blood glucose levels are extremely volatile.   Scientists have found another way of doing this pancreas transplant using xenografts from animals e.g. pigs. This alternative mode of transplanting from animals provides another channel for the treatment of type 1diabetes.

Islet cell transplant is less invasive than a pancreas transplant and are one of the treatments for diabetes.  Islet cells are injected into the liver where they take over and begin to produce insulin.  The liver is used because it is more accessible than the pancreas and the islet cells seem to produce insulin better in this environment.  More often than not however, the body treats the newly introduced cells as it does any foreign tissue: that is, it rejects them.  The immune system actually treats them as it would a skin graft or bacterial infection.  Therefore, patients need to undergo treatment involving immunity-suppressants, which reduce immune system activity.

Type 2 diabetes is a progressive disease that has no known cure.  There are however well established treatments for diabetes, which can significantly delay, or at best prevent indefinitely the chronic consequences of the disease.  If blood sugar is properly maintained however, then you are as good as cured.  In older patients (that is, frail patients and persons with life expectancy of less than 5 years) and others in whom the risk of intensive glycemic control far outweigh the benefits, self-management is advised.  There are two main goals of treatments for diabetes. The first is to reduce mortality from assorted diabetes complications while the second is to preserve life quality.

The first goal may be achieved through glucose glycemic control; that is, bringing it to near normal blood glucose levels.  The second goal is normally achieved by support and care especially from teams of diabetes health workers.  However, knowledgeable patient participation is vital to clinical success and therefore patient education is a crucial aspect of this effort.  Treatment goals are related to effective control of blood glucose, blood pressure and lipids to minimize long-term consequences that would inevitably result in the absence of treatments for diabetes.