Diabetes has become a global epidemic and public health burden. Almost 463 million people had diabetes worldwide in 2019, which is projected to increase to 700 million by 2045.
- Type 1 diabetes (T1D) can develop at any age, but most frequently in adolescents and children. Here, the pancreas loses the cells that make insulin, the glucose regulating biomolecule.
- Around 95% of cases are type 2 diabetes (T2D), occurring more frequently in adults, where the body develops resistance to insulin and can no longer regulate glucose. Unfortunately, controlling blood glucose does not stop T2D progression.
- Complications of diabetes include nerve, eye, kidney, and cardiovascular damage. These can eventually lead to significant disability and possibly death.
- Our focus is nerve damage—to peripheral nerves in the arms and legs, which leads to neuropathy, or damage to the brain, leading to cognitive decline.
