Could Stem Cells Stem the Diabetes Pandemic?

Only seven years ago, American health authorities predicted that the number of diabetics in the U.S. would hit 29 million by 2050. At current growth rates, that number will be hit in 2012! Worldwide, 240 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes, an eightfold increase in 40 years.

Treating huge diabetic populations strains health care systems and budgets. Diabetics normally take medications and receive treatment for serious conditions linked with diabetes, like heart disease, circulatory problems, blindness, stroke and kidney failure. Additionally, diabetics take longer to recover from illness, spend more time in hospitals and have significantly higher costs for healthcare.

About 50 percent of the money spent on diabetes treatments goes towards prescription drugs. But studies suggest that drugs cause problems, too. The FDA linked an entire class of diabetic drugs, thiazolidinedione, with an increased risk of heart failure. A study in the journal Diabetics Care projected that one in every 50 patients taking the antidiabetes drugs Avandia or Actos would be hospitalized for heart failure over a 26-month period.

What can help treat diabetes without causing complications? According to the Repair Stem Cell Institute, adult stem cell treatments combined with important lifestyle changes offer the most hope.

Injecting adult stem cells, not embryonic stem cells, into unhealthy tissue can help the body heal itself. For example, a diabetic with cardiovascular disease could undergo adult stem cell treatment to repair the damaged tissue.

But adult stem cell treatments must be combined with behavioral changes. Why? Diabetes cannot be cured, so it can slowly damage the body throughout a patient’s lifetime. A healthy diet that is naturally rich in nutrients and is low in harmful chemicals, combined with regular exercise, can help diabetes patients enjoy prolonged improved health.

For more information about adult stem cells and to find a treatment center specializing in diabetes, visit www.repairstemcells.org.