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DiabetesDiabetes mellitus is a chronic, progressive disease caused by a lack of, or problems with processing, the hormone insulin. The result is persistently high glucose (sugar) in the blood, causing symptoms including slow-healing wounds, exhaustion, and increased thirst. Globally, roughly 1 in 10 adults have diabetes. The condition is considered an epidemic by the World Health Organization, though a quarter of adults with diabetes don't know they have the disease. There are two primary types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes—formerly known as juvenile-onset diabetes—is a partially inherited autoimmune condition in which the body’s immune system attacks insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, undermining and potentially halting all production of the hormone. Type 2 diabetes occurs when your cells don’t respond normally to insulin or the pancreas can’t keep up with the amount of insulin needed to lower blood sugar levels.Explore Diabetes
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The additive effects of smoking, diabetes, and poor diet are the biggest risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer. Mayo ClinicEvery 3.5 minutes in the US, a limb is amputated due to diabetes. American Diabetes AssociationTelehealth demand for GLP-1s is on the rise as people seek it out for myriad reasons—the proportion of non-obesity and non-diabetes-related prescriptions for the drug soared from 4.5% in 2018 to 17% in 2023. KFF Health NewsDiabetes is a hormonal disorder that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough of a hormone that regulates blood glucose, called insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. TED-EdPeople with schizophrenia have triple the risk of developing diabetesIt remains contentious if something inherent about the disease or antipsychotics' side effects (weight gain) are mostly to blame. Some newly diagnosed schizophrenia patients already have insulin resistance, raising questions about if patients' brains are getting enough energy from glucose, and if dietary changes—like a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, moderate-protein diet—may help alleviate symptoms. Psychology TodayLeonard Thompson was the first human to receive an insulin injection for diabetesIn January 1922, the 14-year-old was the first person to receive an insulin injection to treat diabetes, just months after insulin was isolated in dogs and used to treat their induced diabetes. Thompson had an allergic response to an apparent impurity in the injection, but his second dose, 12 days later, was a success. UMass Chan Medical SchoolDiabetes drug GLP-1 is a peptide (that's what the 'P' is for). US Centers for Disease Control and PreventionType 1.5 diabetes is typically found in adulthoodClinically referred to as latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, or LADA, this condition is often diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes. However, it’s an autoimmune disease that eventually requires insulin, just like Type 1 diabetes. Misdiagnosis can result in uncontrolled high blood sugar and a slew of other serious health issues. SELFThe popularity of new weight loss drugs has led to a diabetes treatment shortageThe FDA approved Ozempic to help patients with diabetes, but the popularity of semaglutide as a weight loss drug led doctors to prescribe Ozempic to nondiabetic patients who needed to lose weight. Ozempic became so popular that manufacturers could not keep pace with demand, posing risks for Ozempic-users with diabetes. NPRDiabetes is a chronic disease linked to insulin production and high blood sugarDiabetes is a chronic, progressive disease caused by a lack of, or problems processing, the hormone insulin, leading to persistently high blood sugar. Around 90 to 95% of cases are Type 2 (chronic and caused by factors like diet and environment). The remainder are Type 1 diabetes (an autoimmune disorder). 1440Black patients are losing their limbs at a rate triple that of other groups due in large part to inequities in diabetes care and management.Each year, about 130,000 US diabetics undergo amputations due to complications from diabetes, with many patients located in low-income and uninsured neighborhoods. More than half of US diabetics who lose their lower limbs are not subject to pre-surgery angiograms, imaging that shows blood flow blockages to determine if (and where) amputation is necessary. ProPublicaFiji's 'quiet' diabetes crisisAcross the Pacific archipelago of Fiji, diabetes often avoids diagnosis until amputation or death is imminent. Fiji's government has said nearly 30% of its population has diabetes, and, in 2019, related amputations accounted for 40% of the country's hospital operations. This "sugar disease" may have such a stronghold on the archipelago, which has a physically active culture that prizes locally sourced foods, due to cost, with processed foods being much cheaper than alternatives. The GuardianIs it possible to cure diabetes?Treatments for diabetes depend on the type of condition a patient has. Gestational diabetes typically goes away after birth, and those with Type 2 diabetes may be able to reverse their condition through diet, exercise, and blood sugar management. Type 1 diabetes has no cure, but can be successfully managed. Labiotech.euType 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that develops over timeAlmost 90 to 95% of people with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes, occuring when the pancreas doesn't make enough insulin or the insulin fails to work correctly. Insulin malfunction causes the pancreas to crank out increasingly high amounts of the blood sugar-regulating hormone, leading to overwork and reductions in production. Diabetes UKType 1 diabetes, affecting about 5%-10% of people with diabetes, is an autoimmune disorder inhibiting insulin production.Diabetes causes the body to attack insulin-producing cells in the pancreas, causing a shortage or complete lack of insulin. This interrupts the body's ability to access and store blood sugar—the brain and muscles' primary energy source. It's unclear what causes Type 1 diabetes, which remains an incurable yet manageable chronic condition as of 2024. Mayo ClinicGestational diabetes occurs when the body can't produce insulin during pregnancyGlobally, pregnant people are increasingly at risk to develop gestational diabetes due to rising maternal ages and obesity rates. The condition is associated with heavier fetal weight, congenital abnormalities, and perinatal mortality, which includes stillbirths and deaths of babies younger than 7 days old. Oxford University PressDiabetes has downstream effects on the heart, eyes, kidneys, and moreHigh blood sugar levels in untreated diabetes roughen artery walls, increasing plaque buildup, heart disease, and high blood pressure risk. High levels also cause acid to build up in the bloodstream, potentially making the brain swell, the lungs fill with fluid, and the heart to beat arrhythmically—all fatal complications. Yale MedicineOne in 10 adults worldwide has diabetes.As of 2021, diabetes claimed at least 6.7 million lives and continues to kill one person every five seconds. Nearly one in two adults with diabetes don't know they have the condition, which is expected to increase in prevalence from 537 million in 2021 to 783 million in 2045. International Diabetes FederationAn overview of 200 years of diabetes treatmentDiabetes treatment became truly effective after the advent of insulin injections in the early 1900s. Diabetes is becoming increasingly common. Current trends estimate one in three Americans will have diabetes by 2050. This overview explores two centuries of diabetes treatment—starting in 1812—and outline potential challenges to treatment and prevention. The New England Journal of MedicineDiabetes 101: Insulin deficiency leads to high glucose levels in the bloodGlucose, the brain's preferred energy source, enters the bloodstream when the body breaks down consumed carbohydrates. To manage this increase in readily available energy, the body releases the hormone insulin, which allows glucose to enter and fuel our cells. Without insulin, glucose remains in the blood, causing health issues. Diabetes UKGLP-1 drugs, first used to manage diabetes, were derived from Gila monster saliva.Scientists studying the barely-there feeding frequency of the Gila monster found its saliva had a hormone regulating blood sugar and appetite. Further research revealed that this hormone resembled a human one known as GLP-1, giving rise to the modern wave of diabetes and weight-management drugs. Plain EnglishBlood Pressure and DiabetesNew meta-analysis shows blood pressure reductions with ACE inhibitors and ARBs are associated with a lower diabetes risk, but other types of antihypertensive agents have the opposite effect. MedscapeAddressing lifestyle factors, which influence inflammation, can cure some chronic diseasesIn this video, a physician claims that he reversed a patient's Type 2 diabetes in six weeks by addressing inflammation drivers such as diet. More broadly, he argues that society needs to better consider and address numerous disease factors that are modulated by inflammation, such as stress, sleep, diet, and movement. TEDx TalksGLP-1s are netting interest for treating autoimmune diseases, but are considered experimentalAlready used to treat type 2 diabetes, the novel medications are showing some early promise in experimental studies at reducing inflammation and treating autoimmune conditions including rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel conditions. But researchers caution that side effects are still under investigation—rarely the medication has caused lupus, an autoimmune disease. Medical News TodayMore than 5 million Americans have more than one autoimmune diseaseOverall, about 4.6% of the US population—15 million people—have an autoimmune condition. Some common examples include rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, type 1 diabetes, Grave's disease, and autoimmune thyroiditis. Mayo ClinicAurea is the first US baby born following polygenic analysisThe child, born in May 2020, was selected by her parents to optimize for certain health qualities based on an analysis of her multifactorial genes by a New Jersey-based company called Genomic Prediction. Her embryo was selected for implantation based on polygenic risk scores for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The GuardianPolygenic scores aim to predict traits based on the contributions of many genesThese novel tests for multifactorial conditions evaluate the probability of traits like elevated blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol based on what researchers currently know about different gene variants and their links to various traits. The tests are predictive, not definitive, partly because environmental factors influence the expression of genes. What's more, knowledge about cumulative effects from individual genes continues to evolve. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine states that these tests are too unreliable and nascent for clinical use. American Society for Reproductive MedicineGLP-1 drugs are under investigation for treating Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and drug addictionResearchers are investigating GLP-1 applications for a variety of chronic conditions. One area of interest stems from how study participants using GLP-1 for diabetes and obesity reported describing less longing for wine and cigarettes while taking the medication—intriguing researchers about using the drugs for addiction applications. The drug, they theorize, could bind to receptors that mediate desire. (Some users may experience a paywall.) ScienceSee the first dog ever treated with insulin—a peptideFrederick Banting and his graduate student Charles Best were the first to isolate the peptide insulin from dogs. They induced diabetes in the animals and then treated them with this peptide. UMass Chan Medical SchoolTyphoid smells like freshly baked brown breadCertain ailments are associated with documented scents, including diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and typhoid. The skin of people with yellow fever, for example, can smell like a "butcher shop." Gross ScienceWhat do people do once GLP-1 medications succeed at weight loss?The drugs have been adopted by 1 in 8 Americans, with many achieving their prescribed weight loss. They now face the question of how to keep the weight off, the key issue with any weight loss program that researchers have known about for decades. Each case is unique. Some folks continue to use GLP-1s like Ozempic in minuscule doses, while others taper them off over time. The ConversationImmunosuppressants enable organ transplants, but come with severe side effectsThis drug cocktail helps to lower your body's natural response to attack a transplanted organ. Such medications usually need to be taken for a lifetime after receiving an organ and can come with serious side effects including high blood pressure, diabetes, increased risk of some cancers, and high cholesterol, among others. National Kidney FoundationSee different pig-to-human xenotransplantation possibilitiesXenotransplantation can include the insertion of any organ, tissue, cells or fluids from any nonhuman animal into a human. This US Food and Drug Administration graphic about pig-to-human applications shows different possibilities, including the exploration of using pig pancreatic cells for treating diabetes. US Food & Drug AdministrationHow semaglutides are both better and worse than we knowThe drugs were developed for use treating diabetes and, later, weight loss, but they have proven helpful with the heart, kidneys, and colon. On the flipside, it may slow digestion and lead to gastroparesis, or stomach blockages, and unexpected babies resulting from the slow effect of birth control pills. SciShowEstimates suggest inactivity contributes to 6% of deaths worldwideThe World Health Organization identifies physical inactivity as the fourth leading modifiable risk factor for global mortality, just behind hypertension, tobacco use, and high blood glucose. Latest estimates are that inactivity contributes to 6% of deaths and significantly increases the burden of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. National Institutes of HealthContinual sitting harms your health in a variety of waysProlonged inactivity, like sitting for long periods, slows metabolism, weakens muscles and bones, and impairs insulin function. When these negative changes persist over time, the cumulative result is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and many cancers. TED-EdMyokines are molecules that facilitate some of the benefits of exerciseWhen muscles contract, they release ‘hope molecules’ (myokines) such as IL-6 and irisin. These proteins then travel through the bloodstream to reduce inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, and even support brain repair. This piece illustrates how movement triggers a systemic healing cascade throughout the human body. NIHCan you microdose GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic?GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic can help with weight loss, diabetes, and anti-inflammation. For some users, normal doses are too much. So, they've started "microdosing"—taking a smaller amount than the lowest increment of the drug available. While not yet backed by clinical trials, some doctors observed positive effects for certain people. PopsugarThe myth of sugar rushes vs. the reality of sugar crashesIt's generally accepted that sugar rushes are a myth, and that hyperactivity is a more psychological experience. However, there is real science behind the rare sugar crash that primarily impacts those with diabetes. Read this article to understand how historical and cultural factors have shaped sugar perceptions, and how low blood sugar can trigger shakiness, fatigue, weakness, and more in diabetes patients. Mental FlossUnderstanding insulinScientists Daniel and Kelly talk with researcher Dr. Katrine Whiteson about diabetes, the history of insulin production, and Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff—an essential member of the team who discovered that bacteria could be induced to produce insulin. Listen to discover interesting facts about the life-saving medicine and how it works in the human body. Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary UniverseResearch suggests Ozempic has benefits beyond weight lossSemaglutide, the key ingredient in Ozempic, is proving to be more than just a diabetes and weight loss drug. Research suggests it may also help prevent strokes, improve heart health, and slow Alzheimer’s. 1440 DailyTirzepatide: A GLP-1 drug that also acts on separate receptors to promote weight lossTirzepatide, like semaglutide, is a GLP-1 drug used in diabetes treatment and for weight loss. Unlike semaglutide, it also acts on glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptors, proving a second route to reducing appetite as a means to treat diabetes and promote weight loss. GoodRxRead the FDA's statement on concerns over compound pharmaciesGLP-1 drugs popularity for weight loss and treating diabetes, led to a significant supply shortage and the rise of compound pharmacies, which produce customized drug formulations but lack formal approval from regulators. The drugs are ostensibly the same, but manufacturing methods lead to variations in concentration, filler compounds, and more. U.S. Food and Drug AdministrationSee which GLP-1 drugs are currently approved (along with their cost)Around 75% of prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs are used to treat diabetes, while the remainder is used for weight loss. This overview from GoodRX includes a list and overview of currently available options along with prices for each. GoodRXOvermedication has put type 2 diabetics at risk of low blood sugarType 2 diabetics in the US risk dying from low blood sugar, an epidemic traced to a decades-old, multi-million-dollar drug industry campaign encouraging an average blood sugar level below 7%. Contemporary research correlated such levels with reduced risk of eye, nerve, and kidney damage and increased hypoglycemia risk. ReutersInsulin is a hormone that controls blood sugar by helping absorb it into cellsBlood sugar levels increase after a meal when the body starts turning food into usable fuel—sugars, proteins, and more—which are absorbed into the bloodstream through the intestines. Blood sugar levels rise, releasing insulin, and letting sugar in the blood be absorbed into hungry cells, thereby dropping blood sugar levels. NatureThis Texas city is having an 'amputation crisis' Texas has some of the highest rates of diabetes-related amputations in the country. Towering over the rest of the Longhorn state is the city of San Antonio, where men are nearly three times as likely to lose a limb to diabetes than women. This article explains how men in this majority Mexican American city are genetically and culturally at risk of Type 2 diabetes, a disease involving issues with the blood sugar-regulating hormone insulin. The New York TimesThe discovery of insulin led to a controversial Nobel Prize in 1923For centuries, Type 1 diabetes was fatal. The 1920s "discovery" of insulin netted two of its creators—Frederick Banting and his boss, John Macleod—a Nobel prize. Separately, the German doctor Georg Zuelzer synthesized an effective version of the life-saving drug years earlier but was interrupted by World War I. The ConversationHow meal timing factors into health outcomesThe world is trending toward weight gain, a development that comes with a corresponding rise in risk for health conditions, including diabetes and heart disease. This article explores how meal timing has become a factor in nutrition and weight maintenance. Knowable MagazineGLP-1 drugs mimic a natural hormone that triggers appetite-suppressing effectsOzempic, one of the brand names for the drug semaglutide, was originally developed in 2012, to help treat Type 2 diabetes. Among other effects, the drug mimics a naturally produced hormone known as GLP-1, which is released while eating to let our bodies know we are full. Vox
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