A recent issue of Forecast magazine carried a chart of 
milestones in diabetes treatment.  Many of us are familiar
with most of the milestones the article mentioned, but to 
review some of the highlights, they tell us that: 


 * 1916 - Dr. Elliott Joslin publishes the first edition 
          of "The Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus."
 * 1921 - Dr. Banting and Dr. Best extract insulin from 
          the pancreases of dogs. J. Collip purifies it 
          for human use.
 * 1922 - Leonard Thompson is the first person to receive 
          insulin.  He was 14. 
 * 1923 - Eli Lilly begins producing and marketing insulin. 
 * 1924 - Dr. Priscilla White starts the Joslin Pregnancy Clinic.  
 * 1936 - Novo Nordisk produces and markets the first slower-
          acting (protamine) insulin. 
 * 1940 - ADA founded. 
 * 1949 - Dr. Levine discovers that insulin works to 
          transport glucose into cells. 
 * 1950 - Exchange Diet system developed. 
 * 1953 - Tablets for urine glucose testing available.
 * 1954 - First successful kidney transplant performed. 
 * 1955 - Oral meds (sulfonylureas) go on the market.
 * 1959 - Dr. Berson and Dr. Yallow discover how to measure 
          insulin in the blood; they discover some diabetics 
          still make insulin and Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes 
          are distinguished. 
 * 1961 - Glucagon for emergency hypoglycemia treatment goes 
          on market.
 * 1964 - Ames company markets the first test strips for 
          testing BG levels (Dextrostix). 
 * 1966 - First successful pancreas transplant performed. 
 * 1970 - Ames company produces the first blood glucose monitor. 
 * 1970 - Vitrectomy treatment for retinal (eye) hemorrhage 
          introduced.
 * 1974 - First diabetes law passed in U.S. authorizes gov't to
          coordinate research and public information.
 * 1975 - Islet cell antibody test devised, furthering under-
          standing that Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease.
 * 1976 - Research causes changes in dietary recommendations to 
          allow more carbohydrates and reduce fats.
 * 1977 - Glycosylated hemoglobin "A1c" tests introduced.
 * 1978 - Human insulin or bio-engineered insulin introduced.  
          Portable insulin pumps introduced. 
 * 1981 - Self-monitoring of BG levels becomes standard for 
          diabetes management. 
 * 1985 - Laser (photocoagulation) treatments proven to reduce 
          vision loss for diabetics.
 * 1988 - ACE Inhibitor drugs shown to slow progression of 
          diabetic kidney disease. 
 * 1993 - DCCT study reports BG management can prevent or delay
          microvascular (eye, kidney) complications.
 * 1995 - Carbohydrate counting becomes common. Metformin (Glucophage)
          and acarbose (Precose) approved in the U.S. for Type 2 
          diabetes.
 * 1996 - Lispro (Humalog) goes on the market.
 * 1997 - Troglitazone (Rezulin) goes on the market for Type 2 
          diabetes.  Diabetes types redefined and diagnostic 
          criteria for diabetes is reduced from 140 mg/dl to 126 mg/dl.
 * 1998 - UKPDS reports BG management can prevent or delay 
          microvascular complications in Type 2 diabetics and that
          treating high blood pressure in Type 2 diabetics reduces
          cardiovascular complication and death rates.  Repaglinide 
          (Prandin) introduced.  Research furthers understanding of 
          the importance of addressing heart disease in diabetics. 

	* 		*		* 
  
   If you're interested in how long some misconceptions and hot 
topics about diabetes have been around, another article reviews 
some statements on diabetes from their previous issues, including: 

  * 1948 - Doctors advocate that diabetics can eat sugar and 
           diabetics can exercise. 
    Dr. E. Bortz comments on two popular misconceptions and states 
    that it is NOT true that diabetics cannot eat sugar.  He also 
    states that it is NOT true that exercise is bad for diabetics 
    and says that exercise, insulin and dietary regulation are the 
    important three things about diabetes treatment. 

  * 1949 - Animal research termed important for further progress. 
    Dr. A. Ivey warn that the animal-rights movement (then called 
    antivivisectionists) is a cult that could bring research and 
    medical progress on deadly illnesses to a standstill. 

  * 1949 - Heart disease recognized as a great risk in diabetics. 
    Dr. D. Kramer states that diabetics are "liable to changes in 
    the arteries" and urges attention to diabetes management to 
    reduce cardiovascular complications. 

  * 1949 - BG levels are known to worsen health of diabetics. 
    Dr. W. Sansum writes that "most authorities agree" that high 
    BG levels are damaging, contribute to progression of diabetes 
    and its complications, and make treatment of other conditions 
    more difficult.

  * 1949 - Prevention of foot infections and gangrene is encouraged. 
    Dr. H. Brandeleone writes that prevention of foot problems  is 
    important and the most overlooked aspect of diabetes care. 

  * 1949 - Good BG management and early diagnosis is encouraged. 
    Dr. B. Bowen states a national educational program is needed to
    encourage better diabetes care and early diagnosis of diabetes. 

  * 1951 - No such thing as "mild diabetes." 
    Mrs. W. Lessen warns against the use of the term "mild diabetes"
    and that diabetics misinterpret this to mean their disease is
    mild.  She worries that diabetics do not understand that doctors 
    use this term to describe how difficult or easy it is to treat 
    someone's diabetes;  therefore diabetics with "mild diabetes" 
    do not understand how serious their diabetes is.

   * 1952 - Discussion of life Insurance problems for diabetics.
    Dr. R. Montgomery writes that no diabetic in North America 
    could get life insurance until 1940. 
  
    Forecast magazine is published by the ADA (1-800-806-7801). 


			- Paula