Byetta: A Safe Choice For Diabetics?
Byetta is an injectable drug that has been prescribed mostly for type 2 diabetics with a weight problem. Because it can be taken along with a sulfonylurea or a thiazolidinedione, Byetta can be added to an existing drug regimen as needed. Not only does Byetta regulate insulin and glucose production, but it also slows the emptying of the stomach (so you feel fuller longer), and it reduces your appetite causing you to eat less. People taking Byetta have good luck with weight loss and better blood glucose control.
Unfortunately, there have been many cases of pancreatitis reported with the use of Byetta, as well as reported deaths, and as a result, the FDA is considering a black box warning for its label.
Folks, it looks like this drug is headed for the trash can. Well, overweight type 2 diabetics could always use exercise and a stringent diet to shed those life-sucking pounds. How many times does it need to be said: Proper diet and regular exercise are critical for a long and healthy life. The short-cuts just don’t work.
Peggy Kraus is a clinical exercise physiologist at Southampton Hospital in New York. She received her Masters degree in Professional Physical Education from New York University and after many years in commercial and corporate fitness settings has been in the cardiac and pulmonary rehab setting now for 10 years. Her job duties include educating rehab patients about the link between exercise, nutrition, and good health. Peggy has been published in IDEA’s Fitness Journal and in AFAA’s American Fitness, and her continuing education course, Atherosclerosis: Causes, Consequences, and Treatments, is offered in CEU4U’s nursing course catalog.
