Mahmood S. Mozaffari
Editor

2013

The writings of earliest civilizations reveal that diabetes has af fl icted man for a very long time. The fi rst known clinical description of the disease is attributed to the Roman encylopaedist, Aulus Cornelius Celsus (ca 25 BC–ca 50), although the more accurate description and the introduction of the term, “ diabetes ”, are attributed to Aretaeus, a celebrated ancient Greek physician (second century AD). Despite the early recognition of the disease, recommended treatment options (e.g., dietary modi fi cations) of ancient times were not conducive to improved quality of life.