Dr Shareen Forbes, the University of Edinburgh/British Heart Foundation Centre for Cardiovascular Science and Professor Kevin Docherty, University of Aberdeen.
Prior to the discovery of insulin in 1922, diabetes was a fatal disease characterised by high blood sugar levels with abnormalities in fat and protein metabolism. The discovery of insulin was truly revolutionary and treatment with insulin has both extended life expectancy in people with Type 1 diabetes and greatly enhanced quality of life for many.
Diabetes related complications are minimised in those able to achieve good glucose control. In some people problems arise which may make strict glucose control difficult to achieve and conventional delivery of insulin via injections may not be appropriate. Here transplantation of the insulin producing cells of the pancreas (islets) may be appropriate therapy for some people.
This lecture discusses Type 1 diabetes and the impact the discovery of insulin has had on quality of life for people with diabetes. It also describes the new therapies being developed for people for whom insulin injections don’t work, including cell transplants.
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