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100 years on: the impact of the discovery of insulin on clinical outcomes

Authors :
Brian M. Frier
John B. Buse
Melanie J. Davies
Athena Philis-Tsimikas
Source :
BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, Vol 9, Iss 1 (2021), BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care
Publication Year :
2021
Publisher :
BMJ Publishing Group, 2021.

Abstract

Throughout history, up to the early part of the 20th century, diabetes has been a devastating disorder, particularly when diagnosed in childhood when it was usually fatal. Consequently, the successful pancreatic extraction of insulin in 1921 was a miraculous, life-changing advance. In this review, the truly transformative effect that insulin has had on the lives of people with type 1 diabetes and on those with type 2 diabetes who are also dependent on insulin is described, from the time of its first successful use to the present day. We have highlighted in turn how each of the many facets of improvements over the last century, from advancements in the properties of insulin and its formulations to the evolution of different methods of delivery, have led to continued improvement in clinical outcomes, through the use of illustrative stories from history and from our own clinical experiences. This review concludes with a brief look at the current challenges and where the next century of technological innovation in insulin therapy may take us.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20524897
Volume :
9
Issue :
1
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....afdb332362a813d6c077d5332f410f6d