Incidence of diabetes
Results of a major international study which were published in the Lancet (25th June, 2011) revealed that currently 350 million adults worldwide suffer from diabetes. The results also showed that the prevalence of the disease has either remained unchanged or has risen in most parts of the world over the last three decades. While seventy per cent of the rise was due to population growth and aging, 30 per cent was due to higher prevalence. It was also responsible for over three million deaths worldwide each year.
The study, the largest of its kind for diabetes was led by Professor Majid Ezzati from Imperial College London and co-led by Dr. Goodarz Danaei from the Harvard School of Public Health, in collaboration with The World Health Organization and several other institutions.
So far no technique is available to cure diabetes. Disease management with the help of correct diet, medication (oral hypoglycaemic agents and/or insulin), blood glucose monitoring and exercise are the cornerstones for managing the disease.
Finding a permanent cure for the disease will be one of the greatest breakthroughs in medical science. Several animal studies have shown promising results and there seems to be plenty of hope for diabetics in the near future.
- NIH Stem cell – study - A National Institutes of Health funded research study converted stem cells from the human endometrium, into insulin-producing cells and transplanted them into mice to control the animals' diabetes. The study's findings suggest the possibility that endometrial stem cells could be used to develop insulin-producing islet cells. If the technique is successful amongst humans, women with diabetes will be able to provide their own endometrial tissue for such a transplant, and avoid the risk of rejection of tissue from another person. Endometrial stem cells can easily be collected during a simple outpatient procedure. It is also possible after a hysterectomy.
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