Mumbai. 100 years ago, no one could have imagined that the lives of children with type 1 diabetes could be saved, but the discovery and first use of insulin for Leonard Thompson in Canada on January 11, 1922, led to the discovery of insulin around the world. Changed the destiny of people with diabetes. The team of Banting, Best, MacLeod and Collip was honored for one of the most important medical discoveries in history.
Insulin is the hormone responsible for converting sugar into energy and is completely deficient in type 1 diabetes and relatively low in type 2 diabetes. Insulin has changed over the past century from impure animal extracts to pure solutions, from the commercial availability of human insulin to modified designer insulin, to better control high and low levels of blood sugar for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Insulin delivery has come a long way, from reusable glass syringes and large needles to disposable syringes, pen devices with 4 mm needles, and insulin pumps for continuous insulin delivery. Today, insulin is the elixir of life for millions of people with type 1 diabetes around the world. Individuals with type 2 diabetes also need insulin along with their oral medications for short or long term and helps prevent long-term complications of diabetes.
Dr. Vasant Kumar, President, Research Society of Study for Diabetes in India (RSSDI), says, “Insulin is the miracle drug that has saved the lives of millions of people with type 1 diabetes. Even today, many children with type 1 diabetes across India continue their lives. die or are hospitalized due to diabetic ketoacidosis, which occurs as a result of stopping insulin due to unaffordability, unavailability or misguided guidance by some.”
Dr. Manoj Chawla and Dr. Purvi Chawla of Mumbai Diabetes Care Foundation (MDCF) believe in the need of proper training for correct insulin technique and blood sugar monitoring using various techniques. MDCF conducts regular training programs for physicians and patients alike on insulin use and supports there subsidized/free availability of insulin and monitoring tools such as glucose meters and CGMs. Dr Banshi Sabu, former President of RSSDI believes that “No child with type 1 diabetes should ever be deprived of insulin and its benefits.
So as they celebrate the centenary of the discovery of insulin, it is felt that we have a long way to go towards more effective management of diabetes and its complications.