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The Origin of Diabetes

In the First Century B.C, Aretaeus, the Greek physician, named diabetes after the word dia-bainein, meaning "to siphon." This description was related to frequent urination by people suffering from diabetes.

  1. The Pancreas and Diabetes

    • In1869, Paul Langerhans described the islet cells of the pancreas. But it was not until 1900 that Drs. Joseph von Mering and Oskar Minkowski discovered the role of the pancreas in diabetes after they did tests on animals.

    Diet for Diabetes

    • R.D. Lawrence created a dietary exchange system in 1920 which eventually helped with a beneficial diet for diabetics.

    Insulin

    • The big year for diabetes was 1921, when Fredrick Banting and Charles Best discovered insulin as a treatment medication for diabetes. They went on to win a Nobel Prize for their discovery.

    Types of Diabetes

    • Sir Harold Percival Himsworth realized in 1936 that there were different types of diabetes, and he classified the disease into type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

    Treatment for Diabetes

    • Diabetics can use oral medication to treat their condition. These medications came to light in 1956 and Metformin, the popular medicine for diabetes type 2, was approved in 1995. Since 2007, diabetic patients have had the opportunity to receive stem cell treatment with stem cells from their own bone marrow, which reduces their need for insulin.

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