There are a number of medications to help manage blood sugar and treat type 2 diabetes. This is helpful because each person responds to medications a little differently. That means what works for one person might not work for someone else.
“Your diabetes treatment plan may be very different from your friend or your neighbor’s plan,” says Sonal Chaudhry, Endocrinologist at NYU Langone Health. “That’s because a lot of thought goes into designing an individualized treatment plan for you.”
What factors might your doctor consider when choosing a diabetes treatment plan?
The right diabetes treatment for you may depend on:
1. Your age
Older adults may already have other conditions that they are managing, such as heart disease or kidney disease. They are also more likely to have had type 2 diabetes for several years, which means it may be more advanced.
On the other hand, young people with type 2 diabetes may need to consider unique treatment factors. For very young individuals, certain medication types may not be safe or recommended.
2. Length of diagnosis
Because type 2 diabetes is often progressive, people who have had the condition for longer generally need more aggressive treatment and/or multiple medications.
3. Blood sugar control
People with better blood sugar control may be able to manage their diabetes with milder treatment options. If blood sugar levels are very high or unstable, this may be a sign that your diabetes is under-treated, and you may need to add or change medications.
4. Medical history
There are many conditions that may co-occur with type 2 diabetes. This includes heart disease, kidney disease, and liver disease. Your doctor will help optimize your diabetes treatment plan to have the most benefits and least risks to other conditions.
For example, there are some diabetes medications (such as metformin) that you should not take if you have other certain medical conditions. In those cases, your doctor may consider an option that won’t have negative effects on these other conditions.
5. Your weight
Your doctor may consider a medication’s effect on weight depending on your needs.
6. Your insurance
Your budget is a major factor to consider. When you consider costs of blood sugar testing supplies and doctor visits, the cost of type 2 diabetes treatment can really add up. One study found that treatment for type 2 diabetes costs each patient around an average of almost $17,000 a year. People without insurance may spend even more.
Your doctor may prioritize finding an effective treatment that you can afford — especially since you may be on it for a long time. A medication that is too expensive may not be an option for you unless you’ve tried every other option. At that point, your doctor may discuss ways to help you afford this medication, such as patient assistance programs.
Why will my diabetes treatment plan include beyond medications?
A treatment plan for type 2 diabetes also usually includes:
Nutrition therapy or education to help you learn how to eat a diabetes-friendly diet
Regular exercise to help improve insulin sensitivity and manage weight
Monitoring of your overall health to help detect and control possible complications
What should I do if my type 2 diabetes treatment plan isn’t working?
If you have concerns with your current treatment plan for type 2 diabetes, talk to your doctor or care team. Concerns may revolve around cost, side effects, convenience, or how effective the medication is.
“Your doctor wants you to feel well in your medicines, and be able to take them on a regular basis,” says Dr. Chaudhry. “You and your doctor can work together and come up with a treatment plan that is both effective and suitable for your lifestyle, and [helps] minimize your side effects.”
Dr. Chaudhry is an Endocrinologist at NYU Langone Health in New York City.
References
Corcoran, C., et al. (2023). Metformin. StatPearls [Internet].
Evert, A. B., et al. (2019). Nutrition therapy for adults with diabetes or prediabetes: a consensus report. Diabetes Care.
Goyal, R., et al. (2023). Diabetes mellitus type 2. StatPearls [Internet].
McCoy, R. G., et al. (2019). Challenges for younger adults with diabetes. Minnesota Medicine Magazine.
National Institute of Aging. (2024). Diabetes in older people.
Nowakowska, M., et al. (2019). The comorbidity burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus: patterns, clusters and predictions from a large English primary care cohort. BMC Medicine.
Riddle, M. C., et al. (2018). The cost of diabetes care — an elephant in the room. Diabetes Care.
Wexler, D. J., et al. (2024). Patient education: type 2 diabetes: treatment (beyond the basics). UpToDate.
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