University of Virginia Library

Deadly Diabetes

Although fifty years ago
having the disease diabetes was
an almost certain death
certificate, today's modern
treatment methods insure most
diabetics a normal, active life.
But diabetes is far from
conquered.

It is still the fifth leading
cause of death by disease and is
the second leading cause of
blindness. It can be a factor in
the aging of blood vessels, the
inflammation of nerves, kidney
failure, heart attack and even
gangrene when uncontrolled.
After years' duration, it may
cause circulatory problems
even with the best of care.

Physicians and scientists
coordinating eight
broad-ranging research
programs on diabetes at the
University of Virginia's School
of Medicine say that though
diabetes may be one of the
more "controllable" of the
major diseases, little is certain
about why it develops, who
will get it and how it actually
progresses.

More than a million new
cases of diabetes are discovered
every three years, according to
the American Diabetes
Association. And for every
known diabetic, there are two
or three unknown.

Finding these "hidden
diabetics" is the first problem
facing clinical diabetes
specialists like John A. Owen
Jr. of the University's
department of internal
medicine. It has been estimated
that between the time a person
has the earliest detectable
symptoms of diabetes and the
time he is recognized as
diabetic, there is an average
lapse of 12 years-time for
complications to flourish.

Dr. Owen's work in the
University's diabetes program
focuses on the overwhelming
majority of diabetics who are
classified as "mild" diabetics
and may be able, if detected
early enough, to control the
progress of their disease with
diet regimen alone or in
combination with oral
preparations to lower blood
sugar.

At the University, selected
groups are treated at the
Diabetes Clinic, and many
more are counseled in proper
dietary habits in a special
diabetic Nutrition Clinic. In
addition, Dr. Owen and his
colleagues conduct longterm
drug trials of potent new drugs
for the treatment of mild
diabetes.

James Craig, associate dean of
the medical school and a
researcher in metabolic aspects
of diabetes, stresses the role of
obesity.

Because obesity does give a
person this built-in risk for
development of diabetes,
research since 1950 at the
University has been targeted at
solving the chemical and
psychological riddle of what
makes people fat. Specialists in
internal medicine, psychology
and other medical disciplines
have combined to obtain more
data on the body chemistry
and the behavior of obese
persons. Now they are looking
for ways to train paramedical
persons to take over the task of
managing obesity.