Vanadium salts and the future treatment of diabetes.

Until the discovery of insulin by Banting and Best in 1922, diabetes had a high mortality rate. Since then regular administration of the drug has brought it under control. Nevertheless it is not an ideal drug, in that it has to be injected and because of the incidence of insulin resistance. There is, therefore, a need for alternative forms of treatment and in recent years interest has centred on the possibilities of vanadium salts.