Metabolic Activation Therapy

This treatment was first developed by Dr. Tom Aoki and has been available at his center in Sacramento CA since 1986. A number of people in Reno NV seemed to be appropriate candidates for this treatment but Sacramento was too far away for the weekly treatments. Endocrine Associates began offering this treatment in Reno March 2002. The results confirm the findings published on this therapy.

The most notable benefit is how kidney failure slows down. Some patients note that they can feel hypoglycemia more easily. Some note an improvement in neuropathy. Some have reported that their retinopathy (eye disease) has stabilized.

The treatment is a once-weekly, 6-hour process. An IV is started and a specially-programmed pump delivers pulses of insulin. The patients eat carbohydrates to prevent hypoglycemia. Finger stick blood sugars are tested every 30 minutes. Every hour a 2-3 minute breathing test is performed to see how well the person is using the carbohydrates (respiratory quotient).

This treatment does not replace insulin therapy but is in addition to multiple daily injections or insulin pump therapy.

For more details and a list of publications on metabolic activation therapy see the Aoki Diabetes Research Institute website. Information is also available at Metabolic Industries and Advanced Diabetes Treatment Centers. If you think you would benefit from MAT ask your physician for a referral to Endocrine Associates.