Diabetes has not been defeated / 90th anniversary since introduction of insulin

[versicolor]

I’m sure everyone knows of somebody who suffers from diabetes (maybe even suffer themselves), after all, globally as of 2010 it is estimated that there are 285 million people with the disease, type 2 making up about 90% of the cases.

In USA alone, for at least 20 years, diabetes rates have been increasing substantially. In 2010 nearly 26 million people had diabetes, from those 7 million people remain undiagnosed. Another 57 million people are estimated to have pre-diabetes.

Shocking statistics I’m sure you’ll agree.

Today is the 90th anniversary since the pioneering introduction of insulin to treat the disease by Canadian scientist Frederick Banting. Although his research and subsequent available treatment has saved millions of lives around the world, there still remains an alarming fact: type 1 diabetes can STILL reduce life expectancy by an average of 20 years, while type 2 can STILL reduce it by an average of 10 years.

Diabetes also remains the leading cause of blindness in people of working age and is the cause of thousands of amputations a year.

Great strides have been made in this field, but as the article quite rightly states: nearly 100 years later, the problem is yet to be solved.

diabetes-has-not-been-defeated

[Clarke]

We only discovered genetics 30 years after we invented insulin. It's going to take a little while to master human biology!

[txen]

Type I and II are really different and type I is a tough one to deal with. Perhaps something with stem cells to make new islet cells and immunomodulation to protect them.

Type II certainly has a big genetic component, it also has a big behavior or life style component as well. Less food less type II. It's pretty much as simple as that. Now if I can only follow my own advice.