Diabetes Research

In recent years, advances in diabetes research have led to better ways of managing diabetes and treating its complications. For example, recent advances in diabetes research have resulted in the development of quick-acting and long-acting insulins. Diabetes research is sponsored by various government agencies and other organizations. The future of diabetes research looks promising, as scientists study different aspects of the disease.

 

Diabetes Research: An Overview

In recent years, advances in diabetes research have led to better ways of managing diabetes and treating its complications.
 
This diabetes research is being sponsored by a number of different organizations. Many government agencies sponsor diabetes research, including:
 
  • The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • The Indian Health Service
  • The Health Resources and Services Administration
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs
  • The Department of Defense.
     
Many organizations outside the government support diabetes research and education activities. These organizations include:
 
  • The American Diabetes Association
  • The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
  • The American Association of Diabetes Educators
  • Pharmaceutical companies.
     

Recent Advances in Diabetes Research

Recent major advances in diabetes research include:
 
 
  • Development of quick-acting and long-acting insulins
     
  • Better ways to monitor blood glucose and for people with diabetes to check their own blood glucose levels, including advances in noninvasive blood glucose monitoring
     
  • Development of external insulin pumps that deliver insulin, replacing daily injections
     
  • Laser treatment for diabetic eye disease, reducing the risk of blindness
     
  • Successful kidney and pancreas transplantation in people whose kidneys fail because of diabetes
     
  • Better ways of managing diabetes in pregnant women, improving their chances of a successful
    delivery

 

  • New drugs to treat type 2 diabetes and better ways to manage this form of diabetes through weight control
     
  • Evidence that intensive management of blood glucose reduces and may prevent development of diabetes-related complications
     
  • Demonstration that two types of antihypertensive drugs -- ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors and ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers) -- are more effective than other antihypertensive drugs in reducing a decline in kidney function in people with diabetes
     
  • Promising results with islet transplantation for type 1 diabetes reported by the University of Alberta in Canada
     
  • Evidence that people at high risk for type 2 diabetes can lower their chances of developing the disease through diet, weight loss, and physical activity.
     
(Diabetes Research Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
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