Podcast

Nursing Standard podcast: all you need to know about insulin and diabetes

Lecturer Paula Mayo on the types of insulin and how to administer it safely

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Why is insulin so important to the body and what is its role in type 1 and type 2 diabetes?

As 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin, the latest episode of the Nursing Standard podcast explores the hormone which regulates how the body uses and stores blood glucose and fat.

Insulin administration, and diet and exercise, for people with diabetes

University of Leeds lecturer in diabetes care Paula Mayo explains the different types of insulin used in the treatment of diabetes, and the safety implications to consider when administering it.

She also talks to Nursing Standard senior nurse editor Richard Hatchett about the impact of diet and exercise on blood glucose levels.

Life-changing discovery of insulin

Insulin was discovered in cells in the pancreas in 1921 by scientists Charles Best, John Macleod and James Collip. A year later it was first used to normalise the dangerously high blood sugar levels of a 14-year-old boy with type 1 diabetes.

Their discovery is seen as one of the greatest medical breakthroughs and is credited with saving millions of lives worldwide.

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