Drug to treat arthritis might be able to reduce blood sugar levels
Posted on: 03/Mar/2018 9:49:21 AM
The news that a drug that is used in the treatment of arthritis would be able to lower blood sugar levels in our body has become the talk of the town now. Many people in this world get affected by Rheumatoid arthritis is well known. People affected by this autoimmune disorder have painful joints and would find very difficult to move from one place to another. This problem might affect other parts in our body also. It is sad to note that this rheumatoid arthritis has affected one percent of world population.
It is now said that a drug named ‘Leflunomide’ is being used to treat this rheumatoid arthritis could lower blood sugar levels in us. This has been confirmed by clinical studies on the patients taking this drug. This drug reduces blood sugar levels in patients affected with type-2 diabetes.
Mouse models were taken for the study purpose and this anti-inflammatory drug has reduced blood sugar levels plus also reversed resistance for insulin in the mouse with type-2 diabetes.
It is now clear that this Leflunomide drug could be beneficial for those patients having both rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes. It is worthy to note that this drug functions by targeting a protein that is involved in desensitising the insulin preceptor.
Cells need instructions to start absorbing sugar from the blood and the above instructs these cells. This was confirmed by Mr. Xiulong Xu who is a professor belonging to Yangzhou University in China.
One important point to note is taking this Leflunomide drug also helps the obese patients to lose their weight. This dug when consumed also acts on other molecular targets in us and it is now brought out that more studies would be needed to know whether anti diabetic effects seen are due to this drugs effect on insulin receptor. Soon further tests using this drug would be carried out by this professor.
