What is the difference between the treatment of diabetes under an immune scheme compared to the traditional one? The patient gets a diagnosis and receives attention, but is also checked for a systemic immune problem and thereby prevent possible consequences as diabetic foot, glaucoma, nephropathy and retinopathy.
As long as the immune problem is not attacked diabetes cannot be fully controlled, because these patients have immunodeficiency (decreased defenses) and are more prone to infections, said Sigfrido Miracle Lopez, chief of endocrinology at the Advanced Immunology Center in the Angeles Hospital of Mexico City.
“In the case of Type I diabetes, patients suffer destruction of the pancreas or of the insulin producing cells, but this same patient may have other autoimmune diseases that can affect other organs. This is called autoimmune polyglandular syndrome, a situation in which the body attacks the pancreas, thyroid and may develop hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency, or rheumatoid arthritis,” he explained.
The Advanced Immunology Center seeks to serve not only patients who have one ailment, but a group of diseases, that can be diagnosed or not, and who are at risk of developing other conditions that can be treated holistically.
When the patient attends to the endocrinologist, the physician only focuses on the management of sugar, which causes that other diseases that will have repercussions in the future are not being diagnosed in time and get discarded. Therefore, the purpose of attacking diabetes from an immunological point of view, is to analyze the entire body and not just the one condition, the endocrinologist highlighted.
In the Center, the patient will be evaluated in a comprehensive manner, to detect the autoimmune problem that caused, him or her, diabetes or further complications. If the patient has further repercussions, treatment will be given to prevent the development of other diseases.
In addition to receiving specific therapy for diabetes, insulin or oral glucose-lowering drugs, patients will receive immunoglobulins and immunoglobulin (antibodies) in infusions to control this problem and other autoimmune diseases. The therapy works by putting into the body something it is not producing in the quantity or quality required and replace what the body cannot produce.
The center offers to not only watch the disease, but the individual and all the things that could affect, perhaps diabetes, or an allergy, because this may be the tip of the iceberg of a series of problems, and thus can be prevented to avoid future complications, ended Miracle Lopez. (Agencia ID)
Story Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by Investigación y Desarrollo. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.