The review published by NEJM is a nice travel through the history of Diabetes. The research conducted today is only possible thanks to the work carried out for centuries, a legacy we rarely remember. Up to seven Nobel Prizes were awarded to Diabetes-Related Researchers, starting in 1923 with Frederick Banting and John Macleod for the discovery of insulin. To remember some of these breakthroughs, the review explains the historical advancements in the scientific basis of current treatment approaches, pathogenesis, and prevention of Diabetes.
The cited article with the participation of Dr. Ramon Gomis and his team was published by NEJM in 2001. It was titled “The effect of irbesartan on the development of diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes”. Preventing or delaying the development of diabetic nephropathy is a major goal of treatment, and the cited work shows that irbesartan is renoprotective independently of its blood-pressure-lowering effect in patients with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria. This study has already been cited 1.600 times by other authors.
The review about the history of Diabetis ends remembering that there is still a huge work to do from the public health perspective. Although treatment and prevention have undergone great advancements, the worldwide prevalence of diabetes has continued to increase dramatically. The implementation of preventive public policies and lifestyle modification could be a part of the solution. The future challenges in Diabetes research include growing fields such as immunology and genetics.