Womens Health

On The Way To A Breakthrough

In an exciting turn of events for sufferers of diabetes, researchers are on the brink of a breakthrough in discovering an effective treatment for type 2 diabetes. A new piece of the diabetes puzzle has come to light and this has researchers from Europe and the U.S. racing neck and neck to find that perfect, yet elusive treatment first. It's no wonder these findings have generated so much interest—after all, some 30 million citizens of the EU suffer from type 2 diabetes.

Annual Surge

The spread of obesity has caused an annual surge in the number of new cases of type 2 diabetes worldwide. The disease respects no economic boundaries and has spread fast throughout both wealthy and poverty-stricken nations. In the EU, for instance, it is known that over 8% of the population suffers from type 2 diabetes. But Dr. Sten Madsbad, a professor at Copenhagen's Hvidovre Hospital is hopeful, “For the first time we now know that there must be mechanisms we have not been aware of before. If we can map these mechanisms, we can also have an indication that in the future we will be able to find a medicine or another form of treatment that can cure type 2 diabetes."

Together with researchers from Italy and the UK, Dr. Madsbad is moving toward mapping the method in which gastrointestinal hormones contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes. The work is going well and Madsbad has every expectation that the mapping process will lead to discovering a cure for diabetes while it is in its earliest stages. This would prevent the serious consequences seen in long-term diabetes sufferers, such as kidney and vision damage, as well as cardiovascular disease.

Gastric Bypass

The idea stems from the knowledge that type 2 diabetes can be cured through surgical means, by way of the gastric bypass, a surgical procedure developed to treat obesity. The gastric bypass allows some nutrients to bypass the stomach. Scientists don't really know why an operation for obesity cures type 2 diabetes. Despite this lack of understanding, complete cures for the condition are often achieved within a couple days of surgery.

It's clear that the gastric bypass must also cause the gastrointestinal mechanism that causes diabetes to be bypassed, as well. Researchers now have a very obvious track of research to explore and it's only a matter of time until they figure it all out from A-Z. Once the scientists understand the mechanics of how the gastrointestinal system operates during the development of diabetes, the scientists will be able to figure out a less invasive, medical treatment to stop the process cold in its tracks. Stay tuned.

 

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