Women's Outreach Initiative Welcome page Fighting Diabetes in Space Diabetes is a serious disease that can lead to blindness, heart attack, stroke and kidney failure. It is the fourth leading cause of disease in the U.S., killing more than 160,000 Americans each year.
Diabetes treatments account for one-seventh of the nations health care costs.
Although NASA does not have a diabetes research program, the Agency is conducting research that has an impact on the fight against diabetes. This crystal-clear view allows scientists to understand precisely how a drug interacts with the protein, insulin. Scientists are currently designing nontoxic drugs that bind to insulin to improve its effectiveness. Scientists are also designing new forms of insulin that the body can absorb more effectively and may reduce injections to once every 3 days. Mind over Body Artificial-vision technology, used to help pilots train to fly in poor visibility, can help patients at risk for nerve damage associated with diabetes to visualize and control blood flow to their arms and legs.