Nearly 347 million people suffer from diabetes worldwide according to World Health Organization (WHO). Figures increase annually and still there is no cure for it. It is estimated that 1 in 3 people born after 2000 in U.S will suffer from diabetes at some stage in their lives, mostly affecting Hispanics. For women the figure increases to 1 in 2 Hispanic women. Diabetes is called “the epidemic of the 21st century”.
Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic lower limb amputation and blindness in adults. The 2007 estimates for total direct and indirect cost in USA according to figures from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) was 174,000 million. About 9 % of the U.S. population is diabetic.
Based on 2005 to 2008 percentages, people older than 20 years of age that had an abnormal A1C (Hemoglobin A1C) showed 35 percent had prediabetes and that percentage rose to 50 percent in people over 65 years of age in the United States.
Contrary to popular belief, the cause of diabetes is not high blood glucose levels. High blood glucose levels is just a symptom of diabetes, the cause is insufficient insulin being produced (Type 1 diabetes) or the inability of the cell to uptake the glucose (type 2 diabetes).
However, advancements in medicine are progressing daily in reference to this pandemic. More than a decade ago patients began to be treated with stem cells for diabetes. It was postulated that a stem cell injection in the arteries that nourish the pancreas could help to improve the pancreatic endogenous insulin secretion. Continual advances are made in respect to the type of stem cell used and the routes of administration.
We noted in our article on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: “Regenerative medicine is the future of medical practice throughout the world and a report from the U.S Department of Health and Human Services entitled 2020: A vision – a new future for regenerative medicine states that regenerative medicine will be at the forefront of medical treatments in the 21st century”.
Despite the ceaseless pursuit and progress on these issues, so far it is not feasible that stem cells are able to replace organs. Fortunately stem cells may be beneficial to improve the quality of life of those suffering from chronic diseases, both progressive and disabling.
Either in health or disease, maintaining an adequate blood supply is not only necessary, but the sine qua non condition for sustaining life and function. Indeed, one of the contributions made by stem cells is the creation of new blood vessels. Stem cells have angiogenic properties, meaning that they can produce new blood vessels inside our body.
Regenerative medicine to treat diabetes
Another feature of stem cells is their paracrine effect, that is, the ability to stimulate by their presence or nesting in an organ or tissue, neighboring cells. This stimulus will result in an increase of the functions exercised by the tissue cells since they failed to comply due to illness, trauma, injury, or some other damage.
Hundreds of patients suffering from diabetes type 2 have received stem cell treatments for their condition. Although type 1 diabetes is less frequent, affecting children and young people there has been a substantial amount of work and research with stem cells in this type of diabetes.
Patients treated by Rehealth are invited to enhance the effects of cell treatment by keeping a proper diet and maintaining physical activity at least daily walks of 20-30 minutes.
Again, diabetes is a disease due to cell bad nutrition, which will progressively cause problems in all organs and body systems. Its consequences are worse with medications used to treat diabetes, since they are not innocuous.
Diabetic patients count on the resource of the clinical use of stem cells, allowing them to extend the period in which they are less prone to complications, not only for the disease itself but also for the medication that is used to control it. Obviously, not requiring medication or delaying the onset of its use to manage diabetes results in long term benefits.
Each case is thoroughly analyzed by our team of professionals in Rehealth. You are invited to send us your reports and tests to let us evaluate your case and determine if you are a candidate for our stem cell therapy for diabetes or other diseases.