Recognized by the Ancient Egyptians as early as 1550 BCE, type 2 diabetes is one disease that has been with civilizations for centuries.
Diabetes, with its many implications, devastations, and health risks, has been affecting lives for thousands of years. An ailment suspected to be diabetes was recognized by the Egyptians in manuscripts dating to1550 BCE, and ancient Indians (circa 600 BCE) were well aware of the condition: They tested for diabetes (they called it “sweet urine disease”) by seeing whether ants were attracted to a person’s urine.
In Greek, “diabetes” means “to pass through.” Greek physicians named the disorder for its top symptom — the excessive passing of urine through the body’s system.
Historical documents show that Greek, Indian, Persian, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean doctors were aware of the condition, but none could determine its cause; in earlier times, a diagnosis of diabetes was likely a death sentence.
In 1910, medical professionals took the first steps toward discovering a cause and treatment mode for diabetes. Edward Albert Sharpey-Shafer announced that the pancreas of a diabetes patient was unable to produce what he termed “insulin,” a chemical the body uses to break down sugar. Thus, excess sugar ended up in the urine. Physicians promoted a fasting diet combined with regular exercise to combat the disorder.
Despite attempts to manage the disorder through diet and exercise, diabetics inevitably died prematurely. In 1921, scientists experimenting with dogs had a breakthrough in reversing the effects of diabetes. Frederick Grant Banting and Charles Herbert Best successfully extracted insulin from healthy dogs. They then injected it into diabetic dogs to improve their condition.
Although insulin injection began to successfully combat diabetes, some cases were insensitive to this form of treatment. Harold Himsworth finally distinguished between the two types of diabetes in 1936. He defined them as “insulin-sensitive” and “insulin-insensitive.” Today, these classifications are commonly referred to as type 1 and type 2.
Type 2 diabetes was not treated successfully for many years. Oral medications were finally developed in the 1950s. These drugs helped sufferers of type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels by stimulating the pancreas to develop more insulin.
In the 1960s, diabetes management improved significantly. The development of urine strips made detecting sugar easier and simplified the process of managing blood sugar levels. Introduction of the single-use syringe allowed for faster and easier insulin therapy options.
Large portable glucose meters were created in1969 and have since been reduced to the size of a hand-held calculator. Portable glucose meters are a key tool in managing diabetes today. They allow diabetics to monitor their blood sugar levels at home, at work, and anywhere else. They are fairly simple to use, and their results are accurate. Learn more about glucose meters.
In 1970, insulin pumps were developed to mimic the body’s normal release of insulin. Today, these pumps are light and portable, allowing diabetics to wear them comfortably on a daily basis.
As recently as 20 years ago, type 2 diabetes did not occur in children. In fact, it was once referred to as “adult-onset diabetes” (type 1 diabetes was termed “juvenile diabetes”). However, in the past two decades more and more cases began appearing in children and teenagers due to poor eating habits, lack of exercise, and excess weight, so adult-onset diabetes was renamed type 2 diabetes.
Despite the strides we have made since diabetes was first described in ancient times, it still remains a major cause of death and health complications throughout the world. In 2007, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
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Now that blood sugar can betested at home, diabetes is more manageable than ever. Insulin remains the primary treatment for type 1 diabetes, and type 2 diabetics reduce their risk of health complications through regular exercise, healthy diets, and other medications. And if diabetes research continues along a progressive path, it might not be long before a more effective treatment for type 2 is achieved!
