Diabetes Rising: How a Rare Disease Became a Modern Pandemic, and What to Do About It
Diabetes Rising: How a Rare Disease Became a Modern Pandemic, and What to Do About It Books
- ISBN13: 9781607144588
- Shape up: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Product Description
Near 90 years after the discovery of insulin, with an estimated $116 billion spent annually on the medical treatment of diabetes in the United States, why is diabetes the one major cause of death that’s been relentlessly rising for a century? Diabetes Rising investigates why the near two dozen medications approved for type 2 (adult-onset) diabetes, and all the high-tech treatments for type 1 (juvenile-onset) diabetes, are failing to slow this modern pandemic of Western civilization. The book also profiles promising new approaches that are making significant strides toward preventing, curing, or dramatically improving treatment of the disease. Written by Dan Hurley, a fixed contributor to the science section of the New York Times (and himself a type 1 diabetic for over 30 years), Diabetes Rising breaks medical news by revealing:
- The wealthiest town in Massachusetts, where an outbreak of type 1 diabetes among the children has parents up in arms, and a state investigation underway.
- The district in West Virginia with the highest rate of type 2 diabetes in the people (where Hurley spent an evening with a family of 10 siblings, all of whom have the disease, and the local Wal-Mart proudly announces that it sells more Small Debbie snack cakes than any other Wal-Mart in the world).
- Why the rate of type 1 diabetes has been rising just as quick and just as long as the rate of type 2, transforming a childhood disease that was once exceedingly rare into one that now affects most elementary school systems in the people.
- How the “artificial pancreas,” long considered a holy grail that would take decades to develop, has now reached the final stages of testing—the book describes Hurley’s extraordinary experience participating in one of the world’s first clinical trials of the device, and profiles the colorful mavericks pushing the technology forward.
- Why international diabetes experts judge that three simple, small-known approaches—avoiding cow’s milk in baby formulas, getting adequate amounts of vitamin D, and simply playing in the dirt—may possibly preclude many cases of diabetes.
- Innovative broadcast-health strategies in New York City, Los Angeles and elsewhere that are seeking to attack diabetes today just as campaigns of a century ago defeated communicable diseases—with broadcast-health laws regulating quick-food restaurants.
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Dan–
As a son of a diabetic, your interview on NPR was gripping. Going to the prologue excerpt on the website, but, the reference to “Bryn Mawr” neighboring the Town of Weston was disconcerting.
Thank you for clearing this up.
Rating: 5 / 5
Mr. Hurley,
I haven’t read your book yet but I heard your NPR interview in which you criticized the FDA for delaying approval of the artificial pancreas. And yet the JDRF just released this press release this week. It is clearly still in the trial stages and according to this statement, nothing has been presented yet to the FDA. Can you please clarify the discrepancy?
NEW YORK, January 13, 2010 – The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation today announced an innovative, non-exclusive partnership with Animas Corporation to develop an automated system to help people with type 1 diabetes better control their disease – the first step on the path to what would be among the most revolutionary advancements in treating type 1 diabetes: the development of an artificial pancreas, a fully automated system to dispense insulin to patients based on real-time changes in blood sugar levels.
Animas, a Johnson & Johnson company, is a leading manufacturer and distributor of insulin delivery and glucose management systems. JDRF is a global chief in research leading to better treatments and cures for type 1 diabetes.
The objectives of the partnership, a major industry initiative within the JDRF Artificial Pancreas Project, are to develop an automated system to manage diabetes, conduct extensive clinical trials for safety and efficacy, and submit the product to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for approval.
“If successful, the development of this first-generation system would start the administer of automating how people with diabetes manage their blood sugar,” said Alan Lewis, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of JDRF. “Ultimately, an artificial pancreas will deliver insulin as needed, minute-by-minute, throughout the day to maintain blood sugars within a target range. But even this early system may possibly result in dramatic changes in the quality of life for the 3 million people in the U.S. with type 1 diabetes, beginning to free kids and adults from testing, calculating and treating themselves throughout the day.”
Dr. Lewis noted that “JDRF will provide $8 million in funding over the next three years for this project, with a target of having a first-generation system ready for regulatory review within the next four or so years.”
The first-generation system would be partially automated, utilizing an insulin pump connected wirelessly with a continuous glucose watch (CGM). The CGM continuously reads glucose levels through a sensor with a hair-thin sensor wire inserted just below the skin, typically on the abdomen. The sensor would transmit those readings to the insulin pump, which delivers insulin through a small tube or patch on the body. The pump would house a sophisticated computer program that will address safety concerns during the day and night, by helping preclude hypoglycemia and extreme hyperglycemia. It would slow or stop insulin delivery if it detected blood sugar was going too low and would increase insulin delivery if blood sugar was too high. For example, the system would automatically discontinue insulin delivery to help preclude hypoglycemia, and then automatically resume insulin delivery based on a specific time interval (i.e., 2 hours) and/or glucose concentration. It will also automatically increase insulin delivery to reduce the quantity of time spent in the hyperglycemic range and return to a pre-set basal rate once glucose concentrations have returned to acceptable levels.
Rating: 4 / 5
No library – health or general – should be without DIABETES RISING: HOW A RARE DISEASE BECAME A MODERN PANDEMIC, AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT: it’s one of the most vital, wide-ranging books about the epidemic of diabetes to be published in recent years. It comes from the author’s interviews with hundreds of physicians, researchers and patients nearly the world and presents interlocking scientific theories to clarify the rise of diabetes and how to preclude or even cure both types. An astonishing, direct assessment that’s long been needed, this is a top pick and stands well apart – and above – the wealth of diabetes history and management tools on the market.
Rating: 5 / 5
Having also been motivated to order this book by Hurley’s engaging recent NPR interview, I was greatly pleased at what a readable job he does of bringing us up to date on the current state of understanding of diabetes and its treatment, and of promising future research directions. As an adult-onset Type I diabetic and a biologist, I considered myself pretty well informed on this theme, but I learned a fantastic deal nevertheless. Even as I can’t really say whether those with no specific prior interest in diabetes will find this book worthwhile, I certainly urge it strongly for all diabetics. And if it motivates people to demand that the government do a responsible job of collecting statistics on the (increasing) incidence of type I and type II diabetes, Hurley will have done us all a fantastic service. I was stunned to learn that such statistics are not routinely collected. With respect to the history of the discovery of insulin, on which Hurley touches relatively briefly, I strongly urge that readers get a copy of “Glory Enough for All.” It is a wonderful read that doesn’t only give what is one of the most right, engaging, and thorough accounts of this lifesaving discovery, but also communicates the human side of the way fantastic scientific discoveries are generally made as well as any book I’ve read — including Jim Watson’s “The double helix” (which was more than a small colored by the author having been one of the principals caught up).
Rating: 5 / 5
I was very interested in this book as my 10 year ancient daughter was recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Even as I haven’t
done exhaustive research regarding this disease I have read and been given a lot of in rank lately, some of it contradictory.
This book was very informative and simple to know and an enjoyable read! I really appreciated the history of the disease and some of it’s early treatments
and an overview of the kind of research now being done. I felt empowered at the end with a greater understanding of the disease and hopeful for my daughter’s future. Valuable read.
Rating: 5 / 5