Processes involved in diabetes may also be implicated in addiction

The human body is a very complex organism, and we are only slowly coming to understand how all the different areas of the body work and how they relate to one another to lead to health and illness.  The brain is even more complicated and although our understanding has increased, there is still a lot to know, especially when it comes to addiction.

For example, researchers have believed that the processes involved in diabetes may also be implicated in addiction, but until recently there has been little concrete evidence to support this, and even less ideas about how to use this knowledge in a practical way. 

However a recent discovery has been able to support the idea, and may have found a way to use this knowledge in a practical sense.  Researchers in America have found that a drug currently used to treat type 2 diabetes may also be able to help treat those with addictive disorders as well (Examiner.com, 2012).  The researchers found that in the trials, the medication seemed to reduce the rewarding effects of cocaine in rats, and they feel that the effects will likely transfer to other addictive drugs as well. 

Findings such as these offer further hope to those suffering from addictions, and as it is a medication already on the market, it is hoped that if trials prove successful, it could be released as a treatment for addiction in the near future.  Thus rehab UK based and worldwide could be able to offer an additional treatment method, hopefully increasing the numbers of people seeking out and successfully completing a rehab program.

Examiner.com.  (2012).  Could diabetes drug help treat those suffering from addiction?  Sourced from: http://www.examiner.com/article/could-diabetes-drug-help-treat-those-suffering-from-addiction

Published by on 31/10/2020.