DRUG DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT 23
“It’s an overstatement to say that if people weren’t overweight, they wouldn’t get diabetes – many of them would …”
milk - or perhaps insulin itself. Tese questions remain unanswered.”
In Type 2 diabetes, genetic susceptibility is less well defined, although multiple genetic abnormalities have been found. However, no major single genetic culprit has been identified.
Rising obesity rates have magnified the problem dramatically, as obesity is present in more than half of Type 2 diabetes cases, and an additional 20 to 30 per cent of patients are overweight. But Dr Henry stresses that millions of overweight people never get diabetes.
Robert R Henry, MD, President of Medicine and Science, American Diabetes Association, and Chief, VA Endocrinology and Metabolism and Professor of Medicine in Residence at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine.
“It’s an overstatement to say that if people weren’t overweight, they wouldn’t get diabetes - many of them would, but probably later in their lives. So obesity is an important factor, although not a sufficient one, or even a necessary one. Instead, improper dietary habits and living a sedentary lifestyle are as important as obesity per se in this issue.”
A lack of physical activity can lead to insulin resistance in skeletal muscles. When this occurs, the body disposes of less glucose for a given amount of insulin.
Dr Henry maintains that right now
there is not enough emphasis on promoting healthy lifestyles. Lifestyle modification has been proven to be the best way to prevent the onset of Type 2 diabetes. Programs in the United States, Scandinavia and China have demonstrated that increased exercise, a low-calorie diet and weight loss can prevent or postpone the onset of diabetes.
Both experts agree that a complete cure for diabetes is probably not imminent. “Even if we have a breakthrough five years from now, it would take at least another 10 years to get it ready for widespread use,” says Dr. Henry. “But right now, I’m worried that in the current financial climate we’re being scrunched for money, and the science will suffer. Without research there will be no new discoveries.”
Nevertheless, Dr Henry says management of the disease has come a long way. “We’ve made marvellous recent advances. Tere are many new medications, glucose sensors and monitors and insulin pumps to help control blood glucose and reduce complications. For individuals with Type 1 diabetes, a truly functional artificial pancreas is within view. Te future, though, is in prevention. And we have an opportunity to start making a difference now.”
Fig. 2. Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, with its experience in health care, contributes its sealing technology.
Despite the success of treatment technology, substantial portions of the world do not have access to necessary equipment.
Dr Roglic says: “Even insulin syringes aren’t available to everyone, so any cure that is found will be limited to those who can afford it. Te current priority for the WHO is to help make existing technology available to everyone. Many are still dying from a lack of access.”
Making life easier As diabetes spreads, the demand for diabetes-related equipment to help manage the disease increases every year, as does the need for further innovation.
Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, with its experience in health care, contributes its sealing technology to help make sufferers’ lives easier, including support for infusion sets and cartridge reservoirs for insulin pumps, septums for injection ports and vials, and injection ports for syringes and insulin pens.
www.scientistlive.com
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