Diabetes History

Diabetes History
1) 1500 BC Ebers Papyrus first described diabetes.
2) 400 BC Sushrut Indian surgeon
Knew diabetes causes are genetical and environmental .
3)Paul Langerhans 1869 described cluster of cells (islets) in pancreas
4)In 1889 Minkowski and Joseph Von Mering discoverd that dogs subjected to remval of their pancreas developed the symptoms of diabetes leading Minkowski to postulate that the Pancreas is the site of secreation an antidiabetic substance now known to be insulin.
5) Dr Banting and Dr Best isolated insulin in 1921 .Insulin injected to a diabetic dog showed fall in glucose levels .
6) First insulin use Jan 11 1922 a 14 year old Type 1 diabetes named Lenord Thompson
Received an experimental injection at the .


Toronto General Hospital


At that time Type 1 diabetes was thought
To be a death sentence .Thompson's life was extended by am additional 13 years using insulin.
7) The Noble prize in physiology or medicine 1923 was awarded jointly to Frederic Grant Banting and John Macleoid For the discovery of insulin .

HbA1c Blood test

This test is now a days essential for a diabetic patient to know average status for the disease as fasting blood sugar or post lunch sugar is going to tell a spot reading and not the average reading HbA1C instead will speak out for average .How average is revealed because this test is a glycosylated hemoglobin simply heamoglobin attached to sugar or glucose  .How it happens as you know blood heamoglobin is a red pigment inside Red Blood cells  binds to glucose the life of Red blood cells is 120days so in your body some red blood cells are born while you are reading this news but some are 2days old some 20days some may be 120 days and dieing after completing their life span.Yes so the average is around 2months to 3 months.The advantage is doctor would know how was your blood sugar control for past 3months

Spot reading fasting or post lunch 2hours reading will not be able to tell you what was your control for last two to 3months.More over you may eat less when you go for lab test fasting or post lunch and get false report.
This HbA1C test generally done six monthly .The importants for fasting and post lunch blood sugar are always there .
The American Diabetic Association guidelines 2013
Greater than 6.5 percent HbA1c means diabetic level and 5.7to 6.4 percent means pre diabetic