Type 2 Diabetes
What is Type 2 Diabetes?
Type 2 Diabetes is a global epidemic with more people affected every year. It is very common condition, particularly amongst those with a family history of diabetes, certain ethnic groups and people categorised as having obesity.
T2D causes the level of glucose (sugar) in the blood to become too high and, despite an abundance of T2D medications, it is a progressive metabolic disease. This means most patients continue to struggle to control their blood sugar and find themselves taking more and more medication over time.
Having T2D increases a person’s risk of developing other serious health problems like vision loss, blindness, nerve damage, wounds that won’t heal, amputations, heart attacks, strokes, kidney damage and liver disease.
Questions and Appointments
For any enquiries about conditions, tests or treatments, please feel free to call Dr Rehan Haidry’s medical secretary Debra Hyams.
Treating T2D
T2D treatment usually starts with a daily tablet called Metformin to control blood sugar and lifestyle changes such as cutting down on sugary foods and drinks and carbohydrate, combined with more exercise. However after living with the condition for a number of years patients often find they will need to take additional medications to keep their blood sugar under control and in some cases they will end up needing to inject insulin as well.
Traditionally T2D treatments have focused on managing the key symptom of the disease – the increased blood sugar – they do not address why the disease is getting steadily worse. However there is now cutting edge research that is turning its attention to a part of the body called the duodenum.
The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine just (after the stomach) and it plays a crucial role in metabolism. The cells lining the duodenum – the ‘mucosa’ – absorb nutrients and sends signals to other parts of the body like the pancreas. In people with T2D the lining becomes thickened and diseased. Experts believe that targeting the duodenum can ‘reset’ the T2D disease progression.
Revita® is a pioneering endoscopic procedure which targets the duodenum, through a process called Duodenal Mucosal Resurfacing or DMR.
What is Revita®?
Revita® DMR targets the thickened/diseased lining, restoring the healthy mucosal lining. This process appears to improve the ‘signalling’ to other parts of the body, like the pancreas, and patients see sustained improvements in their blood glucose control.
During the procedure, the patient will be sedated and then an endoscope (a small flexible tube with a light and camera on the end) is passed down the back of the throat, through the oesophagus (the food pipe) to the duodenum. Here the doctor can look at the mucosa to see where it looks thickened or diseased ahead of carrying out the procedure.
The Revita® catheter is then inserted, the thin flexible tube (which looks like a long thin balloon) is filled with warm water which heats the mucosa (initiating the regrowth of the mucosa). This promotes the regeneration of a new mucosal lining of the duodenum is better able to control blood sugar.
The procedure itself takes 1 hour and patients can expect to return home the next day.
Why Revita®?
Revita® is a totally radical approach to T2D; it makes permanent changes to a specific part of the gut, rather than simply trying to control the symptom of uncontrolled blood sugar. Many patients who have had the procedure instinctively feel that targeting the gut and trying to get to the root cause of their T2D, is preferable to taking more and more daily medications.
Patients can be discharged after 24 hours and resume every day activities (like going to work) the next day, the most common side effect reported is a bit of a sore throat and more serious side effects are very rare.
To learn more about Revita® click here.
In The News
Dr Rehan Haidry was one of the first doctors to perform the procedure in the UK as a clinical trial investigator. Here he talks about the procedure – please click here.
Get In Touch
For any enquiries about conditions, tests or treatments, please feel free to call Dr Rehan Haidry’s medical secretary Debra Hyams on:
Tel: 0203 423 7609 | Email: rhaidrymedsec@ccf.org