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The History of Treatment of Diabetes

The symptoms of diabetes have been known for more than 2,000 years. The name diabetes was given to the condition in Greece by Aretaeus who attempted to treat the condition with oil of roses and raw quince.

  1. Early Treatments

    • Into the 17th century diabetes treatment was largely guesswork with doctors prescribing natural treatments such as jelly of vipers' flesh, almonds and red coral, according to diabeteshealth.com.

    Diet

    • Doctor Frederick Allen began treating diabetes with a low-calorie diet in the 20th century, despite keeping patients alive, the treatment allowed just 450 calories a day causing near starvation for the majority of patients.

    Insulin

    • In 1921, Canadian doctors Banting and Best kept a diabetic dog alive for 70 days using a crude form of insulin leading to the insulin treatment of diabetics. Coupled with Roger Hinsworth's discovery of the two types of diabetes in 1935 insulin treatment became used throughout the world, according to diabeteshealth.com.

    Insulin Pump

    • During the 1970s, the insulin pump was developed, refining insulin treatment by releasing insulin into the body continuously through a tube creating a more natural release of insulin into the body.

    Stimulating Insulin Release

    • The drug sulfonylureas began use in the 1950s in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes which was replaced in 1995 by metformin which stimulated the release of insulin from the pancreas without increasing production.

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