DIABETES ON INCREASE

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29850, 16 June 1962, Page 4

DIABETES ON INCREASE

Professor’s Warning

(N.ZJ’.A.-Reuter— CopvriphO LONDON, June 14.

A warning that diabetes was on the increase was given by the co-discoverer of insulin. Professor Charles Best, in London yesterday. He said the disease was increasing because it was hereditary, the “Daily Telegraph" reported. He said it was being perpetuated by keeping diabetics alive with insulin. Diabetics, who formerly would have died as children, now had children of their own. Professor Best said that research on diabetes was active and that he and his team had worked hard trying to develop a method of taking insulin by mouth, in place of injections. So far this research had met with no success, but they had found drugs which, when taken by mouth, could release insulin, providing some existed in the body. ~ There was some evidence that living under strain produced diabetes. It was 10 times more prevalent in fat people than in thin, because they usually ate more and absorbed more sugar.

He said that while surveys in England showed that 2 per cent, of the population had the disease, the figure was not worse than for other countries. Many people did not even know they had the disease.

“I believe it should be possible to detect diabetics in the early stages by regular national tests. In these early stages the disease can be curbed by dieting and pills,” he said.