News & Research

1916-1949 | 1950-1969 | 1970-1979 | 1980-1989 | 1990-Present

1950
The ADA, the American Dietetic Association, and the U.S. Public Health Service devise a meal planner that divides foods into six groups, or “exchanges”, based on the calories, carbohydrate, protein, and fat in each serving of food.

1953
Tablets for testing urine glucose become widely available, and urine test strips appear over the next few years.  These options are simpler than using Benedict’s solution, which must be mixed with urine and heated over boiling water.

1954
The first successful kidney transplant is performed at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston.
 
1955
Sulfonylureas, oral medications that stimulate the pancreas to release more insulin, are available.  New, more potent forms of these drugs will become available later.

1959
Using radioimmunoassay technology developed by Solomon Berson, MD, and Rosalyn Yalow, PhD, researchers measure insulin in the blood.  They notice that some people with diabetes still make their own insulin, and they identify “insulin dependent” (type 1) and “non-insulin-dependent” (type 2) diabetes.

1961
Glucagon, an injectable treatment for severe hypoglycemia, is introduced by Eli Lilly and Company.

Rosalyn Yalow, PhD, receives the ADA Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award for her 1959 discovery of measuring insulin in the blood using radioimmunoassay technology.  The ADA presents this award each year to an individual researcher under age 45 who has made an outstanding contribution to diabetes research that demonstrates both originality and independence of thought.

1964
The Ames Company introduces, the first strips for testing blood glucose by color code.

1966
The first successful pancreas transplant is performed at the University of Minnesota Hospital.

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