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The Evolution Of American Diabetes Association

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The Evolution of American Diabetes Association
Introduction
When an individual is asked whether or not they would rather be HIV positive or have diabetes, the obvious response is that they would prefer to be diagnosed with diabetes. Even though, diabetes is a complicated endocrine disease that most often results in patients having multi-organ dysfunction, such as: blindness, lower extremity amputation, kidney dysfunction and pancreas malfunction. Most people associate diabetes with bad food, bad genetics and a lack of exercise, which are definite risk factors (Polonsky, 2014). According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), diabetes cost $174 billion in health care cost in 2007. This health disparity is what leads to formation of the …show more content…

In regards to proper nutrition, a diet that has a low glycemic index has been found to improve blood sugar control. Unfortunately, diet and exercise aren’t enough to achieve glycemic control for some individuals. At this time, medication is usually introduced to the treatment regimen. Oral medications such as Metformin, sulfonylureas, nonsulonylurea secretagogues, alpha glucosidase inhibitors and thiazolidinediones are available. However, Metformin is usually the first line of treatment. In some patients, insulin can be added to their medication regimen. Consequently, in cases where the individual is morbidly obese and lifestyle modifications with medication therapy prove to be ineffective in maintaining glycemic control, weight loss surgery can be considered (Polonsky, 2014).
Part 1
History of diabetes and the formation of ADA
Diabetes Mellitus is not a new disease. It was first recognized in ancient Egypt around 1500 B.C.E. It was considered a rare condition in comparison to present times. In 1812, diabetes was acknowledged as a clinical disorder. However, its prevalence at the time was not well documented. During those time periods, diabetes was considered fatal (Polonsky, 2014). The most significant progress came with the discovery of insulin. In 1921, Frederick G. Banting, MD and then student assistant, Charles H. Best, made the discovery of insulin. This discovery led Dr. Banting to being

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