Compare and contrast conventional and intensive type 1 diabetes therapy, including the advantages and disadvantages of each

Answer 1

?The main goal of diabetes treatment is to maintain blood glucose levels within a desirable range to prevent or reduce the risk of complications. Several multicenter clinical trials have shown that intensive diabetes treatment, which keeps blood glucose levels tightly controlled, can greatly reduce the incidence and severity of some chronic complications. Therefore, maintenance of near-normal glucose levels has become the fundamental objective of diabetes care plans. Note that intensive therapy is recommended only if the benefits of therapy outweigh the potential risks. Intensive therapy involves blood glucose monitoring at least three times per day and three or more daily injections of glucose or an external insulin pump. Landmark studies conducted in the 1980s and 1990s suggested that keeping blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible offers clear advantages over less rigorous diabetes treatment. The participants undergoing intensive therapy had delayed onset and reduced progression of retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy; however, they also experienced more frequent episodes of severe hypoglycemia and gained more weight.
Conventional therapy requires daily glucose monitoring, and one or two daily injections without dose adjustments. Conventional therapy is associated with fewer incidences of severe hypoglycemia and less weight gain, but it may lead to more rapid progression of neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy.