From ancient Egypt to insulin pumps: The 3,500-year evolution of diabetes care

Diabetes has been recognised for thousands of years, with early descriptions appearing in ancient Egyptian and Indian texts. The condition was first named by a Greek physician, and its understanding has evolved significantly over time. The earliest known reference to diabetes comes from Egyptian manuscripts around 1550 B.C. Around 400-500 A.D., ancient Indians identified two forms of the disease. They also developed a test: if ants were drawn to a person’s urine, it suggested diabetes.

Greek physician Apollonius of Memphis later named the disorder after its main symptom, excessive urination. In 1926, Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer discovered that diabetic patients’ pancreases failed to produce insulin.

A major breakthrough came in 1921 when Frederick Banting and Charles Best extracted insulin from healthy dogs and used it to treat diabetic dogs. Harold Himsworth then distinguished between type 1 and type 2 diabetes in 1936.

In the 1960s, urine strips were introduced to help patients manage blood sugar more easily. Portable glucose meters followed in 1969, allowing home monitoring. The same decade saw the development of insulin pumps in 1970, which replicated the body’s natural insulin release.

More recently, type 2 diabetes has appeared in younger populations. Poor diets, lack of exercise, and obesity have contributed to its rise among children and teenagers over the past 20 years. From ancient observations to modern treatments, diabetes care has advanced greatly. Today, monitoring tools and insulin delivery systems help patients manage the condition more effectively. The growing prevalence in younger people highlights the impact of lifestyle on health.