DECLINE IN DIABETES

Southland Times, Issue 19502, 17 March 1925, Page 2

DECLINE IN DIABETES

FORESEEN BY EXPERT. A decline in diabetes may be expected since the occurrence of this disease has now about reached its maximum, Dr Elliot P. Joslin, of Boston, one of the leading specialists in this disease, states in a report to the American Medical Association.

Particularly is a decrease in cases and death rates to be expected if proper preventative measures, involving use of insulin, proper diet, or bof-h, are taken. Dr Joslin finds that the diabetic patient of to-day averages 11 years older than those seen 10 years ago. Early fatal cases and groups of living patients in former years averaged 41 years of age, but a similar group now averages 52* years of age. The chief predisposing cause of diabetes is fat. Diabetes has always been known to be more common among Jews than other persons, and this increased incidence, Dr Joslin finds, is due to overweight. Eighty-five per cent, of Jewish patients were overweight in contrast to 70 per cent, of 1000 non-Jewish patiente. He finds no congenital tendency to diabetes among the Jewish patiente, but rather an increased incidence of diabetes when such patients become older and fat. The experience thus far had with insulin confirms the impression that it is a great discovery, Dr Joslin says. Diet alone is sufficient for a large proportion of the diabetic patients in advanced life, but insulin has been of great educational value in causing the public to give more attention to diet and to a study of the human body.