Paraphrasing "History of Treatments for Diabetes" Article (Term Paper Sample)

History of Treatments for Diabetes
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Instigation of the phrase ‘diabetes’
The phrase diabetes is known in full as diabetes mellitus. Being a Greek phrase, diabetes stands for the word siphon-to pass through, while mellitus itself is a Latin word denoting sweet or honey. This is so due to the fact that excess sugar in apparent in urine as well as in blood to individuals suffering from diabetes. During the 17th century, this infection was identified as the "pissing evil”. The phrase diabetes was most likely invented by Apollonius of Memphis probably some 250 years BC. The initial recording of diabetes was made somewhere around 1425, in a medical context. Then at around 1675, the phrase "mellitus" was added by Thomas Willis to make it diabetes mellitus. Mellitus simply cropped up due to the sweet taste of urine. However, this sweetness in urine had been initially identified by the ancient Egyptians, Chinese, Persians, Indians, and predominantly Greeks as apparent from their existing literature, as quoted in News medical life science and medicine (2012).
Very minimal diabetes cases were apparent prior the 20th century. It was linked by the early Sanskrit physicians to overeating and privileged circumstances, while by 19th century the clinicians had differentiated between various types of diabetes, namely that in the middle aged and overweight persons as against the young and thin. Shortly after, insulin was identified being unnecessary for the survival of several (however not all) late onset patients upon its instigation in 1922, while diabetes were lengthily categorized into non-insulin reliant and insulin-reliant entities on such basis. The peculiarity amid insulin resistant and insulin sensitive diabetes was achieved during the early 30s, while the phrases types 1 and 2 (initially suggested in 1850) were not implemented until the 70s. The key basis for its treatment remained being the dietary emphasis until when tolbutamide among other oral therapies were instigated in the 50s which transformed the view of therapy, which has been currently extended to individuals with asymptomatic hyperglycaemia. The initial case for type 2 diabetes was witnessed among the well-off classes of current societies, extending swiftly to the middle class respective of living conditions elevation. It attained epidemic scope by the last part of the century and was identified as a key cardiovascular risk factor. There however exists controversy regarding the significance of early discovery and treatment of hyperglycaemia (contrary to other factors of risk) in cardiovascular risk minimization, as evident from Diapedia the living textbook of diabetes (2014).
Recounting the treatment of diabetes
The early pioneers concerning diabetes treatment were Thomas Willis, Arataeus and Sushruta. According to Greek physicians, regular exercise was significant (particularly riding on horsebacks) in lessening excessive urination. Other additional therapy approaches utilized in diabetes entail wine drinking, overfeeding to balance the lost fluid weight, diet starvation among others. During the medieval ages and ancient times, diabetes was termed as a death sentence. There was an early attempt by Aretaeus to have it treated however this treatment never responded well. By 6th century BCE, Sushruta, an Indian healer, was able to identify diabetes and categorized it as "Madhumeha”. From this phrase, "madhu" denotes honey while the complete phrase stands for sweet urine. The early Indian physicians were able to test for diabetes by establishing the attraction rate of ants to the urine of individuals. The Japanese, Chinese, and Korean terminologies for diabetes are founded on equal ideographs signifying "sugar urine disease”.
In Persia, a detailed account concerning diabetes mellitus was offered by Avicenna (980–1037) in "'The Canon of Medicine”. Avicenna offered a detailed description of abnormal appetite in addition to reduction of sexual functions on top of sweet urine. Additionally, the scholar equally recognized diabetic gangrene. He equally became the first individual to offer a comprehensive description of diabetes insipidus, as quoted in News medical life science and medicine (2012).
Penetration of the role of the pancreas
In 1889, the function of pancreas in diabetic persons was discovered by Oskar Minkowski and Joseph von Mering. By sampling a dog via removing its pancreas, the researchers noted that the dog exhibited all diabetes’ signs and symptoms and succumbed to such symptoms shortly afterwards. By 1910, it was discovered by Sir Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer that diabetes was as a result of insulin deficiency. The scholar identified insulin as the chemical responsible for regulating blood sugar by translating the phrase "insula”, a Latin phrase signifying island, quoting the insulin- producing Langerhans’ islets within the pancreas, as quoted in News medical life science and medicine (2012).
The role of -Human Guinea Pigs
During the 17th century, Dr. Thomas Willis (a London Physician) sampled his patients’ urine as a way of determining whether or not they had diabetes infection. If the sample was characterized with sweetness, the corresponding patient would be diagnosed with diabetes mellitus- "honeyed" diabetes. This approach of assessing and keeping an eye on blood sugars progressed unaltered until the 20th century. Regardless of physicians’ brave efforts in combating this disease, the patients appeared to be more of human guinea pigs. In 20th century, some prescriptions of low calorie food intake (as low as 450 calories on daily basis) by some diabetologists for instance Dr. Frederick Allen. This diet was able to extend the lifespan of diabetes patients however starved most of them by making them to remain weak for their better last days. Effectively, what individuals afflicted with this disease could do was blindly present themselves to the medical research centers and hope for a cure.
Michael Bliss in his book, The Discovery of Insulin, explains the agonizing wasting death of several diabetes-patients prior insulin invention: Drinks and Food no longer mattered, hence not being taken habitually. An agitated drowsiness resulted into semi-consciousness. With the desperate heaving of the lungs while trying to expel carbon dioxide (essentially carbonic acid), the dying diabetic individual usually took huge air gasps to elevate his ability. Being identified by the medical practitioners as ‘air hunger’, the entire process was however sometimes referred to as internal suffocation. Sweet smell, sighing and the gasping progressed on as the unconsciousness led to intense diabetic coma. What followed next were family arrangements with the undertaker, since within a few hours time death would result in, as evident in Diabetes health investigate inform inspire (2015).
The arrival of Insulin therapy
Thorough insulin therapy- several insulin injections intended to mimic the standard pancreas functioning- emerged in the type 1 treatment diabetes, and currently a renowned treatment alternative for type 2 diabetes. A group of 3 experts, two researchers (Charles Best and Frederick Banting) and their director (Dr. John Macleod) engaged a research for several months in search of the baffling substance playing the major role in diabetes. The researchers accomplished the idea of isolating a substance from the pancreas of a dog and later injecting it to other dogs with removed pancreas. From their earlier studies, the researchers believed that these diabetic dogs could be rescued by the substance. Conversely, the effects were extensively erratic since the scholars had not succeeded in the sufficient purification of insulin and had been infusing a fusion of insulin and other substances [3]. Being discovered in early 20s by legendary Banting, MacLeod and Best collaboration, insulin discovery was more of a miracle. Globally, insulin has come to the rescue of thousands from immediate deaths. A young chemist, James Collip, afterwards became part of the team. His mission was to secure pure insulin. It was though him that the group was able to achieve excellent results promptly. While Best and Banting progressed with their studies on dogs, Collip engaged beef pancreases in refining his insulin-extraction approach and, shortly after, opted to utilize varied alcohol concentrations, as stipulated in Diabetes health investigate inform inspire (2015).
The first injection
Being on the 11th of January, 1922, young Leonard Thomson became the first patient to receive the very first injection. With some tests being performed on him the following day, it was realized that his blood glucose had dropped from 24.5 to 17.8 mmol / L.; however a high amount of sugar was still present in his urine. This injection was regarded as a partial letdown since the injected insulin was not as pure (Diabetes Quebec, 2014). Crystallization of insulin was the other subsequent and noteworthy advancement in insulin, achieved in 1926. The approach of insulin crystallization resulted to enhanced soluble (common) insulin purity and equally instigated the efforts to insulin formulation alterations having varied time-action profiles. There was an extensive requirement for comprehensive-action insulin. The subsequent noteworthy progression in the formation of insulin came into place in 1946, upon the release of the second extended-action insulin by Nordisk Insulin Laboratory in Denmark, identified as neutral protamine Hagedorn (NPH).
This insulin was characterized with 10% protamine composition realized in PZI alongside zinc insulin crystal. Compared to PZI, this insulin was shorter acting and could be mixed with standard insulin. By 1956, introduct...