Endocrine System: Patient Assessment, Medication and Lifestyle Plan

This assignment presents a detailed case study of a 45-year-old female patient with a focus on the endocrine system, particularly diabetes management. It outlines the necessary workup, including blood glucose tests (fasting blood sugar, HbA1c, fingerstick glucose test), and discusses diagnostic criteria for type II diabetes. The assignment explores various medication options such as metformin, bile acid sequestrants, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, meglitinides, and sulfonylureas, explaining their mechanisms of action. Furthermore, it highlights essential lifestyle interventions, including education programs, counseling, and increased physical activity. The document also emphasizes health promotion interventions, such as education on exercise, environmental factors, self-monitoring, and smoking cessation. References from scientific journals are included to support the analysis.

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Endocrine System
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliate
Date

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Necessary Work-up for the Patient
The necessary workup for the 45-year-old female patient will include;
A reading of less that is less than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) and this is the normal reading. Any
particular level that ranges from 100 to 125 mg/dL is taken as prediabetes. If an individual's
fasting blood sugar is about 126 mg/dL or extremely higher on two different tests, then the
person is said to be diabetic. The criteria for the diagnosis of type II diabetes for the patient also
entail an HbA1c level of 6.5 percent or even higher. Such a test is to be conducted in a laboratory
through the use of a technique that can be traced by the Diabetes Control and Complications
Trial reference (Rubino et al., 2016). A fingerstick glucose test will also be done because it is a
compulsory activity for any diabetic patient. The other tests will include, glucose studies,
impaired glucose tolerance and glycated haemoglobin studies.
Medications for the Patient
There are a variety of medications that can be initiated to the person. One major
medication are the metformin that entails taking in a pill. Such medication will help in lowering
blood sugar as well as making the insulin more effective. It will also assist to reduce weight
resulting in the reduction of the effects of diabetes. The other oral medications include the bile
acid sequestrants that lowers the production of glucose in the liver, and thus ensuring that there is
much more sensitivity of the muscle tissue to insulin to enhance glucose absorption. Another
medication that could be initiated to the patient is the alpha-glucosidase inhibitors such as
miglitol and acarbose that seeks to ensure a slow breakdown of the starches into glucose after
meals (Pascale et al., 2017). Also with such a slowdown, there will be a decrease in the blood
sugar levels. Meglitinides is another type of medication for the patient. It includes elements such
as repaglinide and nateglinide whose major role is to stimulate the production of insulin.

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However, at times, they may result in a low blood sugar level in the body. Lastly, there are the
sulfonylureas such as glipizide as well as chlorpropamide whose function is to facilitate the
release of insulin in the pancreas.
Lifestyle Interventions
There are typically numerous lifestyle interventions that could be initiated to this
particular patient. One major intervention is the education program that seeks to educate the
individual on the importance of physical exercise, the role of environment and inheritance,
monitoring of self-blood-glucose, late complications and smoking cessation (Rubino et al.,
2016). The other lifestyle interventions include counselling of the patients with a diabetes nurse
specialist whose role is to teach the person on self-monitoring of blood glucose as well as
increasing the physical activity level.
Health Promotion Interventions
The major health promotion interventions indicated among the lifestyle interventions
include the education program that focuses on teaching on the importance of physical exercise,
role of environment and inheritance, monitoring of self-blood-glucose, late complications and
smoking cessation among others (Pascale et al., 2017). The other one is the counselling program
aimed to give advice to the patients on control of the disease.

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References
Pascale, M., Murray, N., Bachmann, M., Barton, G., Clark, A., Howe, A., ... & Sampson, M.
(2017). Study Protocol: The Norfolk Diabetes Prevention Study [NDPS]: a 46 month
multi-centre, randomised, controlled parallel group trial of a lifestyle intervention [with
or without additional support from lay lifestyle mentors with Type 2 diabetes] to prevent
transition to Type 2 diabetes in high risk groups with non-diabetic hyperglycaemia, or
impaired fasting glucose. BMC public health, 17(1), 31.
Rubino, F., Nathan, D. M., Eckel, R. H., Schauer, P. R., Alberti, K. G. M., Zimmet, P. Z., ... &
Amiel, S. A. (2016). Metabolic surgery in the treatment algorithm for type 2 diabetes: a
joint statement by international diabetes organizations. Surgery for Obesity and Related
Diseases, 12(6), 1144-1162.