
Diabetes is a disease with a fascinating history and one that has been growing dramatically with urbanization. According to the World Health Authority, it now affects 4.6% of adults over 20, reaching 30% in the over 35s in some populations. It is one of the most serious and widespread diseases today. But the general perception of diabetes is quite different. At the beginning of the 20th century, diabetes sufferers mostly tended to be middle-aged and overweight, and could live tolerably well with the disease for a couple of decades, but when it occasionally struck younger people, it could be fatal within a few months. The development of insulin in the early 1920s dramatically changed things for these younger patients. But that story of the success of modern medicine has tended to dominate public perception, so that diabetes is regarded as a relatively minor illness. Sadly, that is far from the case, and diabetes can produce complications affecting many different organs. Robert Tattersall, a leading authority on diabetes, describes the story of the disease from the ancient writings of Galen and Avicenna to the recognition of sugar in the urine of diabetics in the 18th century, the identification of pancreatic diabetes in 1889, the discovery of insulin in the early 20th century, the ensuing optimism, and the subsequent despair as the complexity of this now chronic illness among its increasing number of young patients became apparent. Yet new drugs are being developed, as well as new approaches to management that give hope for the future. Diabetes affects many of us directly or indirectly through friends and relatives. This book gives an authoritative and engaging account of the long history and changing perceptions of a disease that now dominates the concerns of health professionals in the developed world. Diabetes: the biography is part of the Oxford series, Biographies of Diseases, edited by William and Helen Bynum. In each individual volume an expert historian or clinician explores the history of a specific disease.
This book investigates the historical evolution, changing medical perceptions, and the complex physiological reality of diabetes as a global health crisis. Robert Tattersall, a recognized authority in the field, utilizes historical medical records and clinical observations to trace the disease from ancient diagnostic descriptions to modern management strategies. The text argues that the public perception of diabetes as a minor illness is dangerously inaccurate, given the disease's systemic impact and increasing prevalence.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Experts and medical historians frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the social and medical history of diabetes. Readers often note that the prose balances academic rigor with accessibility, making it suitable for both health professionals and the general public.
Page Count:
233
Publication Date:
2009-01-01
Publisher:
OUP Oxford
ISBN-10:
0191623164
ISBN-13:
9780191623165
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