-
Some of the first treatments
Some of the first treatments were exercises that were thought to relieve excess urination -
Diet
In the later 1800s, it was recognized that diet may help with diabetes and its effects. Therefore, they advised their patients to consume large amounts of sugar and only eat the fat of animals. -
War Food
In the early 1870's during the Franco-Prussian war French physician Apollinaire Bouchardat noted that his diabetics symptoms were getting better due to war food rationing. He developed individualized diets as diabetes treatments. -
Dog Pancreas
In 1889, Oskar Minkowski and Joseph von Mering, researchers at the University of Strasbourg in France, showed that the removal of a dog's pancreas could induce diabetes. -
More Diet
War rationing and diets led to the fad diets of the early 1900s, which included the "oat-cure," "potato therapy," and the "starvation diet." -
Pancreatic Extract
In the early 1900s, Georg Zuelzer, a German scientist, found that injecting pancreatic extract into patients could help control diabetes. -
Elliot Joslin
In 1916, Boston scientist Elliott Joslin deemed himself as one of the world's leading diabetes experts by creating the textbook The Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus. This reported that a fasting diet combined with regular exercise could significantly reduce the risk of death in diabetes patients. Today, doctors and diabetes educators still use these principles when teaching their patients about lifestyle changes for the management of diabetes. -
Insulin
Frederick Banting, a physician in Ontario, Canada, first had the idea to use insulin to treat diabetes patients in 1920. He and his colleagues began trying out his theory in animal experiments. -
Successful Insulin Use
Banting and his team finally used insulin to successfully treat a diabetic patient in 1922 and were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine the following year. -
Commercial Insulin Production
Eli Lilly and Company and Nordisk Insulinlaboratorium began commercial production of insulin. -
Prolonged Insulin
Hans Hagedorn and colleagues discovered that by adding protamine to insulin, the effects of injected insulin could be prolonged. -
American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association is founded to address the increasing incidence of diabetes and the complications that develop from the disease. Professional Membership is $2 per year. -
Urine Glucose Tablets
Tablets for testing urine glucose became widely available. -
Insulin Works "like a key"
Rachmiel Levine, MD, discovered that insulin works "like a key," opening the door to transport glucose into cells. -
Insulin Syringe
Becton Dickinson and Company began production of a standardized insulin syringe. The standardized syringe reduced dosing errors and episodes of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. -
Oral Medication
Sulfonylureas, oral medications that stimulate the pancreas to release more insulin, became available. -
Diabetes Types Identified
Using radioimmunoassay technology, Solomon Berson, MD, and Rosalyn Yalow, PhD, developed a method for measuring insulin in the blood. They noticed that some people with diabetes still make their own insulin and they identified “insulin-dependent” (type 1) and “non-insulin-dependent” (type 2) diabetes. -
Glucagon
Glucagon was introduced by Eli Lilly and Company as a treatment for severe hypoglycemia. -
Blood Glucose Test Strips
The Ames Company introduced the first strips for testing blood glucose by color code. -
Pancreas Transplant
The first successful pancreas transplant was performed at the University of Minnesota Hospital. -
Continuous Glucose Monitoring and Insulin Infusion
Development of the Biostator enabled continuous glucose monitoring and closed loop insulin infusion. -
Wearable Infusion Pumps
The first medical infusion pumps were invented, capable of delivering biological materials such as chemotherapy drugs or insulin. -
A1C
Boston researchers developed a test to measure glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C). A1C testing became the gold standard for measuring long-term diabetes control. -
Portable Insulin Pumps
Portable insulin pumps were introduced and researchers achieved normal blood glucose levels in patients using them. -
Synthetic Insulin
E. coli bacteria induced to produce insulin identical to human insulin. -
Classification System
The National Diabetes Data Group developed a new diabetes classification system: 1) insulin-dependent or type 1 diabetes, 2) non-insulin-dependent or type 2 diabetes, 3) gestational diabetes, and 4) diabetes associated with other syndromes or conditions. -
Dietary Guidelines
The first Dietary Guidelines for Americans were published jointly by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), providing evidence-based recommendations for a nutritious diet to improve health outcomes -
Human Insulin Produced by Bacteria Approved
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved human insulin produced by genetically altered bacteria. -
Immune System Shown to Attack Insulin
The insulin molecule was identified as a target of autoimmune response in individuals with type 1 diabetes. -
Diabetes Treatment During Pregnancy Revised
Researchers determined that tight control of glucose levels during pregnancy was important for the health of the baby, and continued to study how diabetes increased the risk for birth defects. -
Diabetes Risk Test Introduced
Diabetes Risk Test to help people recognize the risk factors for diabetes and whether they should be screened for diabetes. -
Captopril Approved
Captopril was FDA approved to treat end-stage renal disease, one of the most devastating complications of diabetes. -
Metformin Approved in the U.S.
Metformin is a biguanide that prevents glucose production in the liver. -
First Alpha Glucosidase Inhibitor Approved in the U.S.
alpha-glucosidase inhibitor that slows digestion of some carbohydrates. -
Fast-Acting Insulin Introduced
Lispro was introduced by Eli Lilly and Company as the world’s fastest acting insulin at the time. -
National Diabetes Education Program Created
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the CDC announce the creation of the National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) at the American Diabetes Association’s Scientific Sessions in Boston -
Continuous Glucose Monitoring Approved
The FDA approved the first-ever physician-use continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system. The device was able to record blood glucose data over a 3-day period for analysis in a healthcare professional’s office. -
Definition of Prediabetes Issued
The American Diabetes Association defined prediabetes as impaired fasting glucose and/or impaired glucose tolerance. IFG is defined as a fasting blood glucose of 100-125 mg/dl, and IGT is defined as a glucose level from 140-199 mg/dl two hours after consuming a glucose-rich drink. Later, A1C levels of 5.7 percent to 6.4 percent are also used to identify individuals with prediabetes. -
First Drug in GLP-1 Class Approved in the U.S.
Drug to treat type 2 diabetes. An injectable drug, exenatide works by increasing insulin production in response to high blood glucose levels. -
First Drug in DPP-4 Inhibitor Class Approved
Enhances the body's ability to lower elevated blood sugar. -
First Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Published
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published the first Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which provided science-based physical activity recommendations for people age 6 and older to improve the overall health of Americans. -
Pathway to Stop Diabetes Program Launched
The American Diabetes Association launched the Pathway to Stop Diabetes program, a bold initiative designed to radically transform diabetes research. -
First Drug in SGLT-2 Class Approved
FDA approved Invokana, the first in a new class of drugs known as the SGLT-2 inhibitors, for lowering elevated blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes. -
Safe at School Landmark Ruling Issued
The California Supreme Court ruled in a landmark case that non-medical school staff can administer insulin to students in the state’s public schools. -
Historic Diabetes Prevention Funding Provided
President Barack Obama signed the FY2014 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 113-76) into law. The bill provided $137.3 million for DDT, which was a $73 million increase in funding, and more than double the resources provided in the previous year’s budget. -
All Pregnant Women Advised to Be Tested for Diabetes
The USPSTF issued a final recommendation advising all pregnant women be screened for gestational diabetes after 24 weeks of pregnancy. -
Diabetes Complications Reduced
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that the incidence of diabetes complications dramatically improved as a result of research advances and preventive care over the course of 20 years (1990-2010). Among people with diabetes, the study showed a 52.9% reduction in stroke; 67.8% reduction in acute myocardial infarction; 51.4% reduction in amputation; 28.3% reduction in end stage renal disease and 64.4% reduction in hyperglycemic crisis deaths.
