Diabetes is a disease that occurs when the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar. Diabetes is a global health concern, and according to the World Health Organization, in 2019, it directly contributed to 1.5 million deaths (World Health Organization, 2021). Diabetes can significantly impact the heart, kidneys, and blood vessels leading to other chronic problems. In the US, diabetes is costly to treat and has caused much physical, emotional and mental harm to the people and the families of those who have been affected by the disease.
Diabetes is a very prevalent health problem in the US. According to the Center For Disease Control (CDC), one in every ten people in the US has diabetes (CDC, 2022). On average, around 37 million people in the US have diabetes, and in 2019 alone, there were 1.4 million new cases of diabetes (CDC, 2022). Additionally, 96 million adult Americans have prediabetes, and eight out of every ten people do not know (World Health Organization, 2021). In 2020, it was reported that 48% of the population 65 years and above has diabetes (World Health Organization, 2021).
On 2022 March 28, a tweet by CNN stated that experts had found an unraveling connection between COVID-19 and diabetes. According to the tweet, a COVID-19 infection can lead to a higher risk for diabetes (CNN, 2022). This information will likely affect how people with prediabetes protect themselves against COVID-19. Earlier research only revealed that people with diabetes were at higher risk of COVID-19; now, it has also proved that people with COVID-19 are at higher risk of diabetes which shows the two diseases are interdependent. They are both risk factors for each other.
With the help of cell therapy, diabetes may be treatable. A disease that has imprisoned over 460 million people into longlife medication will finally be curable. The introduction of mini-pancreas, a bio-engineered miniorgan to enscapulate insulin-producing cells, promises to end the long-term chronic disease #EndDiabetesNow
References
World Health Organization. (2021). Diabetes. World Health Organization; World Health Organization: WHO. Web.
CDC. (2022). The Facts, Stats, and Impacts of Diabetes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.
CNN (@CNN). (2022). Studies link COVID-19 infection with an increased risk of new diabetes diagnosis [Tweet]. Twitter. Web.