What we call insulin today was first manufactured in 1921 by Charles Best and Frederick Banting. The hormone, originally called pancreatic extract, gives those with diabetes a chance at a healthy life, especially the six million people in Canada who live with some form of the disease. There are three[Read More…]
Tag: diabetes
Smoothing the road of glucose highs and lows
Though diabetes was officially discovered in 1899, records of diabetes-like symptoms, such as excessive thirst and urination, go back 3,000 years to ancient Egypt. Diabetes mellitus, or simply diabetes, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by high blood sugar for a prolonged period of time as a result of[Read More…]
Smart pump improves insulin delivery to diabetics
With frequent needle pricks and the need for meticulously-managed blood sugar levels, most type 1 diabetics lead lives of constant monitoring and planning. Unlike type 2 diabetes, type 1 often develops during childhood and cannot be controlled simply by changes to diet and exercise, although it can be mitigated. Until[Read More…]
A difficult transition into the adult care of chronic conditions
Anyone who has ever been a first year in university can remember how overwhelming it can be at times: Navigating campus, taking on large course loads, making new friends, and perhaps even living away from home. Eighteen-year-old freshmen who live with a chronic illness, like type 1 diabetes, face the[Read More…]