history of diabetes

A Timeline Of The History Of Diabetes

The history of diabetes is fascinating, as diabetes is an ancient disease with a compelling story. With more and more Americans being diagnosed with diabetes every year, and no end to this trend in sight, it is important to learn as much as possible about this disease. To understand the history of diabetes, a brief understanding of the disease is helpful.

What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus, commonly called diabetes, is a disorder where the patient has unusually high blood sugar levels and an erratic metabolism. The high blood sugar levels are caused either by low levels of the hormone insulin or by resistance to insulin's effects, plus insufficient levels of secreted insulin. Diabetes symptoms include excessive urination, excessive thirst, increased fluid intake, and blurred vision.

Timeline Of Diabetes History

According to the timeline of diabetes history, the history of diabetes begins shortly after the birth of Christ.

First century B.C. – Ancient Greek physician Aretaeus of Cappadocia coins the term diabetes, meaning "one who straddles" or "siphon." Both terms are appropriate for a disease where patients must pass excessive amounts of urine.
Ancient times – Ancient Indians call diabetes "sweet urine disease," and observe whether ants are attracted to urine as a test for diabetes.
1425 – The word diabete is first recorded in English in a medical text.
1675 – English physician Dr. Thomas Willis adds the word mellitus, Latin for "honey," to the term diabetes, due to the sweet taste of diabetic urine.
1900 – Based on animal resesarch, Drs. Joseph von Mering and Oskar Minkowski discovered that the pancreas plays a role in diabetes.
1910 – Sir Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer dubs the chemical produced by the pancreas insulin.
1922 – The first diabetic patient is treated with insulin injections, resulting in the treatment team's receiving the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1923.
1936 – Type 1 diabetes is distinguished from type 2 diabetes by Sir Harold Percival Himsworth.
1942 – The first sulfonylureas are identified.
1977 – The radioimmunoassay for insulin is discovered by Rosalyn Yalow and Solomon Berson.
1988 – Dr. Gerald Reaven identifies metabolic syndrome.
1990s – Thiazolidinedione is identified as an effective insulin sensitizer.
2007 – A trial of 15 newly diagnosed patients treated with stem cells raised from their own bone marrow showed that most of the patients no longer required insulin treatment for extended periods of time.

By studying the history of diabetes, science may finally be able to find a cure for this devastating disease.