There are almost 30 million cases of diabetes in the Untied States some diagnosed, and some are undiagnosed. Diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States, account for over 234,000 deaths as the contributing cause in 2010. As more people are diagnosed with diabetes, many are worried about getting life insurance with diabetes, and luckily pharmaceutical producers have continued to develop new medications to treat diabetes safely. There are hundreds of different medication options for diabetics to choose from, but understanding how they operate can be confusing.
For diabetes medication, there are around eight main classifications of medicines: meglitinides, thiazolidinediones, DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT2inhibitors, bile acid sequestrates, alpha-glucosidase, sulfonylureas, and biguanides. Each medication work to stabilize glucose levels, but all of them operate differently.
Before you start looking at our list, it’s important that you understand that every patient is different, and every diabetes diagnosis is different, which means that no medicine is going to work the same for every person. If you think one of these may work well for you, you should discuss with your doctor about switching medications. You should never attempt to switch dosages or medications without the advice of a trained physician.
Meglitinides
Meglitinides stimulate the pancreas to help release more insulin. These drugs work through blocking potassium channels that lead to an opening of calcium channels as a result. Then open calcium channels then promote insulin secretion. One of the most popular drugs of the meglitinides classification is Prandin or the generic version repaglinide.
Thiazolidinediones
These medications are usually in the form of a pill, and can be prescribed to be used with other diabetes medications. Thiazolidinediones bind to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors and increase sugar efficiency. Popular drugs in this category include Avandia, Actos, and Rezulin. Diabetics using these drugs have experienced mild side effects like blurred vision, chest pain, dry mouth, increased appetite and thirst, nausea, pale skin, and several others.
DPP-4 inhibitors
Named after an enzyme that occurs naturally, dipeptidyl peptidase-4, DPP-4 work to inhibit these DPP-4 enzymes. The DPP-4 enzymes purpose is to remove incretin in the body. With less DPP-4 in the body, incretin remains in the body longer, which will lower glucose levels. Some of the more popular DPP-4 inhibitors are Nesina, Tradjenta, and Januvia. Studies have shown that these DPP-4 medications can lower A1C levels by .5% up to .8%. Diabetics using these medications have experienced a runny nose, sore throat, fever, headache, and a few other minor side effects.
SGLT2 inhibitors
These are one of the newer types of medications to manage glucose levels. SGLT2 inhibitors, also called gliflozin, are named after the protein they block, sodium/glucose cotransporter 2. These proteins work inside of the body to help glucose be reabsorbed by the kidney. By blocking these proteins, the medication helps the increase glucose excretion, which lowers glucose levels in the blood. There are several SGLT2 inhibitors that have FDA approval to be sold in the Untied States: Invokana, Farxiga, Jardiance and a couple of others.
Bile acid Sequestrates
Bile acid sequestrate drugs are one of the most interesting classes of diabetes medications. These medications are designed to lower cholesterol but have also been shown to treat type 2 diabetes. These drugs attach to bile acids, which assists in lowering high cholesterol levels. The reason that these drugs also lower glucose levels still is a mystery. One of the most popular bile acids sequestrates on the market is Welchol. Welchol users have experienced headaches, fatigue, vomiting, and some offer minor complications like back pain or constipation.
Alpha-glucosidase
Alpha-glucosidase inhibitors work by slowing down the digestion of carbs, which regulates blood sugar levels in the body. These medications are taken right before eating to stabilize the effect that foods have on glucose levels. Two of the medications that have received FDA approval are Precose and Glyset. Some of the most common side effects of the alpha-glucosidase medicines are bloated feeling, stomachaches, and diarrhea, but some patients have also complained of hives, yellowish eye or yellowish skin.
Sulfonylureas
These medications increase insulin release from the pancreas by depolarization of the cells, which causes an increase in insulin secretion. This is a popular class of drugs for managing diabetes. Some of the most prescribe brand name sulfonylureas are Diabinese, Amaryl, and Glynase. There are dozens of different sulfonylureas drugs on the market.
Biguanides
Biguanides are usually the first medication physicians prescribe to a diabetic to control glucose levels. Biguanides stabilize the amount of glucose in the blood by decreasing the amounts absorb from meals and the amount of glucose made by the liver. These medications also increase the efficiency that the body uses the insulin in the body. This type of chemical compound has been recognized for its beneficial purposes for almost 100 years. By far the most common biguanides prescribe to diabetics is metformin.
Getting Affordable Life Insurance With Diabetes Medications
One of the most common fears of people with diabetes when they are shopping for life insurance coverage is that their medications are going to make it impossible to get a life insurance plan that they can afford. In most cases, life insurance is much cheaper than they assume. There are several ways that you can trim down your premiums, even if you’re taking medical treatments for your diabetes.
The first thing that you should do is cut out any tobacco that you currently use. If you’re a smoker and a person with diabetes, then there is a chance that you will get declined for your insurance protection or you will pay a fortune every month. If you’re listed as a smoker on your application, you can expect to get much higher premiums. In fact, smokers are going to pay at least twice as much for their insurance versus a person that doesn’t smoke. Kicking those cigarettes can save you thousands of dollars every year.
Another way to save money is to slow down on your way to work in the morning. Most applicants may not realize it, but when you apply for life insurance, the company pulls your driving record, and it plays a part in how much they are going to charge you in premiums. If you have several speeding tickets or accidents on your records in the last year, you could be facing much higher premiums every month.
One great way to save money on your life insurance is to lose weight. If you’re overweight as a person with diabetes, you’re at a much greater risk to have heart problems, which means that you’re a much higher risk applicant for the insurance company. They are going to offset that risk by charging you more for your insurance protection. If you want to save money, it’s time to shed those extra pounds through diet and exercise. If you’re classified as overweight, then you’ll pay around 50% for your life insurance.
The best way to ensure that you’re getting the best price for your coverage is to compare dozens of plans before you decide which one works best for you. Each company has different medical underwriting and all of them are going to view your diabetes differently. Some insurance companies have more experience working with applicants with diabetes, and those companies are going to offer you much lower premiums versus what other companies are going to charge. There are thousands of companies on the market, which means that you could spend hours and hours calling different agents to receive quotes, or you can let one of our independent insurance agents do all of the hard work for you.
Unlike traditional insurance agents, our independent agents don’t only work with one single company. Instead, we represent dozens of highly rated companies across the nation and we can bring all of the best plans directly to you, without the hassle of contacting all of those companies yourself. Not only can we save you time, but we will also save you money.
Overview
There is an almost endless combination of drugs that a type 2 diabetic can be prescribed. Each category of medication has its set of advantages and disadvantages; your doctor will decide which works best for your current situation. All of these medications have been proven to help control diabetes, especially when coupled with a healthy diet and exercise.
The goal of each person with diabetes is to eliminate any additional medication that you’re required to take to lower your glucose levels and manage your condition using only diet and exercise. At times, it can seem like an impossible task, but it’s not. It won’t be easy, but there are thousands and thousands of people that can tell you that you can live a healthy lifestyle without having to take additional drugs.
Don’t wait another day to purchase the insurance protection that your family is going to need if something tragic were to happen to you. Contact us today and we can get the insurance process started.