Diabetes is a condition in which the body doesn't produce enough insulin or in which insulin is not functioning properly. Research is still in progress to discover a cure. However, advanced insulin preparations, such as genetically-engineered insulin, allow patients to lead more normal lives. Research into insulins and other anti-diabetic therapies continues.
Disease: Diabetes
Last update: June 2008
Intro
FAQ
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What is it?
Diabetes is a chronic disease where the body cannot properly use glucose. It is due to the pancreas failing to produce insulin, or because insulin does not work properly in the organs where it should act. As a result, glucose levels in the blood are too high. After many years, serious complications often arise. These may include heart disease, stroke, limb amputation, blindness, kidney damage, coma and death.
There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and Type 2 or non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM). Type 1 occurs in 15-20% of cases, the rest are Type 2. -
Who gets it?
Type 1 diabetes begins between 5 and 20 years of age. Type 2 occurs mostly in the over-45s who are obese. Around 19 million people in the EU are estimated to suffer from diabetes. A further 10 million are believed to have undiagnosed disease. -
What can be done about it?
People with Type 1 diabetes treat themselves with regular insulin injections. Many forms of insulin have been developed; some are derived from cows or pigs. Since the 1980s, human insulin has been prepared by genetic engineering.
The treatment for people with Type 2 diabetes begins with lifestyle changes such as weight loss and exercise. If this fails, medicines called oral antidiabetics may be needed. These work either by stimulating insulin release from the pancreas, or by reducing glucose production in the liver. A different treatment slows the digestion of carbohydrates, reducing the surge of glucose into the blood. Yet another agent stimulates the release of insulin in a glucose-dependent fashion. Despite these approaches, Type 2 patients eventually require insulin.
Though these approaches can be life-saving, people with diabetes can develop many complications. -
What does the future hold?
Long-acting genetically engineered insulin or inhaled insulins are being developed to reduce the daily injection burden. Various new oral hypoglycaemic agents are also being studied. These exploit many different aspects of glucose metabolism.
The pharmaceutical industry is also devoting considerable effort into developing compounds to prevent and manage the long-term complications of diabetes.