One hundred years ago, Diabetes mellitus would have been a death sentence for the patient. The hormone insulin, essential for the body’s energy production, was discovered in 1921. Without insulin, the sugar from foods and drinks remains in the blood, which is very dangerous for the body. Insulin acts like a key to “unlock” muscle cells so the glucose can enter for the process of cellular respiration.
Today people with Diabetes have access to various modern technologies, such as an insulin pump that regulates insulin intake or a CGM (continuous glucose monitoring system). Apps that connect with the CGM to scan blood sugar levels using a smartphone are already on the market. With this immense progress over that last 100 years, what will the future of Diabetes treatment look like?
Adapting to modern health technologies can be exhausting as computers can make mistakes. Mayra from the United States has Type 2 Diabetes and talks about her experience with getting a CGM system. Julian Strungies and Kathrin Bahr of the Diashop-Team in Berlin, Germany, underline the importance of support for people with diabetes and the best ways to advise the patient on the different health gadgets.
Featured image by Stella Schmieder.
Staggering!!!!