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Diabetes Mellitus
Water tasters were used to taste the urine of people suspected of having diabetes. If the urine tasted sweet, people had the disease. Mellitus means honey and diabetes means siphon. Diabetes mellitus was related to sugary urine. -
More Advanced Testing
Doctors developed chemical tests to find out if a person had sugary urine. Doctors would prescribe dietary changes and exercise such as horseback riding. Patients were also told to eat large amounts of sugar or just consume animal meat. -
War-related Food Rationing
During the Franco-Prussian War, the French physician Apollinaire Bouchardat noted that his diabetic patients' symptoms improved due to war-related food rationing. He then developed individualized diets as diabetes treatments. This led to diets of the early 1900s which included the "out-cure," "potato therapy," and the "starvation diet." -
1900 Treatment
In 1900 a treatment was to take a daily alkaline-sponge bath with vigorous friction. Also they prescribed sugar of lead to restrict the flow of urine. Another thing doctors would tell their patients was to not eat any foods that contain sugar and to instead each almost entirely tender, fresh meats. Also patients with diabetes should drink very little liquids. -
Severe Calorie Restriction
From 1915 until the introduction of insulin therapy, Frederick Allen and Elliott Joslin promoted "starvation dieting" to treat diabetes. This was the repeated fasting and prolonged undernutrition. This was viewed as the only possible treatment at this time. -
Insulin
Dr. Banting and Best used insulin for the first time to treat a person with diabetes. They first tested it on themselves to be certain it was safe. The first person to receive insulin was a 14 year old boy, Leonard Thompson. He was surviving on the starvation diet prior to this and insulin saved his life. -
Prolong Insulin Duration Discovered
Hans Hagedorn discovered that by adding protamine to insulin, the effects of injected insulin could be prolonged. This extended duration insulin was called "Neutral Protamine Hagedorn" insulin. -
Tablets for Testing Urine Glucose
Tablets for testing urine glucose became widely available. These options were simpler than using Benedict's solution, which had to be mixed with urine and heated over boiling water. -
Standardized Insulin Syringe Approved
Becton Dickinson and Company began production of a standardized insulin syringe designed and approved by the American Diabetes Association. This reduced dosing errors and the associated episodes of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. -
1950s Diagnosis
Doctors would check the eyes of the patient to see if there were fluffy clouds around the retinal arteries. They would also check the carotid arteries and the arteries in the feet to see the strength of the pulse. -
1950s Treatment
Doctors would create special diets for the patient. An example is that the patient would need to consume 80 grams of protein, 80 grams of fat, and 160 grams of carbohydrates. The patient should also stay away from alcohol since it is almost all carbohydrates. -
First Oral Medication for Diabetes
Sulfonylureas, oral medication that stimulate the pancreas to release more insulin, became available. -
Glucagon Introduced to Treat Hypoglycemia
Glucagon was introduced by Eli Lilly and Company as a treatment for severe hypoglycemia. -
Blood Glucose Test Strips
Ames Company introduced the first strips for testing the blood glucose by color code. They were first just used in hospitals and clinics and were later used in home care around the 1970s. -
Successful Pancreas Transplant Performed
The first successful pancreas transplant was performed at the University of Minnesota Hospital. A pancreas transplant comes at the expense of requiring lifelong immune suppression. There are also only a few thousand donor pancreases available each year while millions of Americans have diabetes. -
First Glucose Meter Used in Clinics
Ames Company introduced the first glucose meter to be used in doctor's offices. Blood previously had to be tested in the lab. -
Continuous Glucose Monitoring and Insulin Infusion
Development of the Biostator enabled continuous glucose monitoring and closed loop insulin infusion. -
Wearable Infusion Pumps Developed
The first medical infusion pumps were invented. This was capable of delivering biological materials such as chemotherapy drugs or insulin. This was very large and hard to carry around so it wasn't a very popular product. -
A1C Test Developed
Boston researchers developed a test to measure glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C). This testing became te gold standard for measuring long-term diabetes control. -
Portable Insulin Pumps Introduced
Portable insulin pumps were introduced and researchers achieved normal blood glucose levels in patients using them. -
1998 Diagnosis
Doctors could now conduct blood tests and urinalysis which could show the levels of glucose. The urinalysis could also show if there were any ketones in the urine. Doctors could now diagnose if someone had type 1 or type 2 diabetes. -
Long-Acting Insulin Introduced
Lantus (recombinant insulin glargine) was introduced by Sanofi Aventis US as the first analog basal insulin. -
Anti-VEGF Therapy Introduced
Ranibizumab, brand name Lucentis (Genentech), was approved for treatment of diabetic macular edema. It works by inhibiting a protein called "vascular endothelial growth factor". The drug is injected into the eye monthly and helps prevent the excess blood vessel growth that can lead to blindness in people with diabetes.
