Diabetes Trivia

Some interesting, but lesser known facts about Diabetes

Did you know that…

• Insulin, was discovered by Dr. Frederick Banting and Dr. Charles Best in 1921 at the University of Toronto.
• In 1924, a 14 year old boy Leonard Thompson was the first human with diabetes to receive insulin.
• Eli Lilly was the first company to make insulin available commercially.
• Almost 1 in 17 people worldwide are diabetic. More than 1800 cases of diabetes are diagnosed everyday.
• India has the largest number of diabetics in the world; a total of 10 million.
• Vitamin D reduces the risk of diabetes.
• Research on insulin inhalers is going on which will make treatment of diabetes simple and pain-free.

Some famous personalities (both past and present) with diabetes:

Sportsmen

• Wasim Akram; Craig McMillan – Cricket
• Arthur Ashe; Billy Jean King – Tennis

Actors

Elizabeth Taylor; Vanessa Williams

Musicians

Syd Barrett; Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan; Tommy Lee (Motley Crew); Elvis Presley; Neil Young; B.B. King; Meatloaf

Leaders

Mikhail Gorbachev; Winnie Mandela

Authors

Ernest Hemingway; Linda Goodman; Mario Puzo; H.G. Wells

Scientist

Thomas Alva Edison