A READING man who helped discover insulin has received a John Macleod medal from Diabetes UK for living with diabetes for 70 years.

Barry Howard, 84, was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when he was 13 years old but a healthy diet and regular exercise has ensured he has managed the condition well.

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The John Macleod medal is awarded to people who have lived with diabetes for 70 years and was given by Diabetes UK in recognition of the courage and perseverance in handling the condition.

John Macleod was also awarded half of the Nobel Prize for the discovery of insulin.

Mr Howard said: “My first memory of diabetes was my mum telling the doctor 'he’s dying' because I was losing weight and had no energy.

"He told me I had ‘sugar diabetes’ and I went straight to hospital.

"I was there five weeks.

"Diabetes was quite rare then and little understood.

"In those days, just after the war, testing your blood glucose levels involved placing five drops of urine into a test tube and then adding 10 drops of Benedict Solution and holding the test tube over a heated gas ring until it boiled.

"You would then wait for it to change colour from the original blue if the level was good through green, yellow and to a bright orange if you were high.

"Blood glucose testing then changed and I finger pricked for fifty years – doing 8-10 finger pricks a day to check my levels.”

Type 1 diabetes is a complex, lifelong condition where the body cannot produce the hormone insulin, which controls the amount of sugar in the blood and must be managed carefully.

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Mr Howard added: "For anyone diagnosed with diabetes, my advice is quite simple: keep active, I was always a keen hockey player so that helped me, and if you take it seriously there’s no reason why you can’t lead a full life, like I have.

"I have a wonderful wife, Davina, and two children who have been a constant source of support over the years and because of them, I am still here today.”

Jill Steaton, Regional Manager at Diabetes UK, said: “Barry is an inspiration, and has really shown how taking control of your diabetes can lead to a long and healthy life.

"Diabetes is a serious and complex condition.

"Poorly managed it can lead to devastating but avoidable complications such as blindness, amputation and stroke.

"Too many people suffer these complications unnecessarily.

"With the right care throughout their lives people like Barry can manage the condition well and reduce the risk of developing complications.”