World Diabetes Day, 14th November 2015

13th November 2015 - Last modified 28th November 2023

World Diabetes Day is tomorrow, providing us all with a chance to reflect on just how far medical research has come since the days when diabetes mellitus was a lethal and untreatable disease.

Thanks to a team of researchers led by Sir Frederick Grant Banting at the University of Toronto, who managed to successfully purify the hormone insulin in 1922, the world has since had access to an effective treatment. Insulin is responsible for maintaining a stable metabolism by removing sugar from the blood and into the cells, and this regulatory system is inherently damaged in diabetes.

But as many of you may know, this is not where the story ends. Diabetes is a highly complex multifactorial disease thought to come about by both genetic and lifestyle factors, and its incident levels are on the rise – an incredibly sharp rise. We are now facing an epidemic of global proportions, and with the incidence rate predicted to hit 552 million individuals across the globe by 2030 (a staggering 9.9% of the adult population),¹ this has created a serious challenge for healthcare professionals.

World Diabetes Day – quick facts

World Diabetes Day was introduced to spread awareness of diabetes, helping the public to recognise both the associated lifestyle risks contributing to this condition, and the ways in which to reduce them.

• 14^th of November honours the birthday of Sir F.G Banting, one of the key discoverers of insulin
• Type I diabetes arises from an autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing cells
• Type II diabetes is characterised by the body’s resistance to insulin
• The name diabetes mellitus was coined by the Greek Physician Aretaeus (30-90CE), referring to the characteristic sweet smelling urine: diabetes= ‘to pass through’; mellitus= ‘honeyed’/’sweet’²
• Ancient Indians diagnosed diabetes by testing the attraction of ants to sugar in the patient’s urine²
• Today’s surveillance methods rely on more advanced molecular-based systems

In addition to administering insulin, many diabetes treatment options exist, from medication to lifestyle changes. The key to implementing any approach always comes back to accurate and routine monitoring of blood sugar levels, and with one of our healthcare clients active in this space, this is a particular area of interest for us here at Alto Marketing. In fact, it’s great to recognise a global event such as World Diabetes Day that so directly connects the innovative technologies of our clients with public wellbeing – supporting both healthcare professionals and patients in managing this serious condition.

References

1. Diabetes.co.uk. 2015. Facts about Diabetes. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/kids/diabetes-facts.html. [Accessed 06 November 15].
2. Dr Ananya Mandal, MD. 2012. History of Diabetes. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.news-medical.net/health/History-of-Diabetes.aspx. [Accessed 06 November 15].