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| (February 27, 1899 – March 31, 1978) |
Best was born in West Pembroke, Washington County, Maine and was the
son of Luella Fisher and Herbert Huestis Best, Canadians from Nova Scotia.
Best married Margaret Hooper Mahon in Toronto in 1924 and
they had two sons. One son, Dr. Henry Best was a well-regarded historian who
later became president of Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario. Best's
other son was Charles Alexander Best, a Canadian politician and geneticist.
As a 22-year-old medical student at the University of
Toronto he worked as an assistant to Dr. Frederick Banting and played a major
role in the discovery of the pancreatic hormone insulin—one of the more
significant medical advances, enabling an effective treatment for diabetes.
Insulin is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells in the
pancreas. It regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats by promoting
the absorption of glucose from the blood to skeletal muscles and fat tissue and
by causing fat to be stored rather than used for energy.
When control of insulin levels fails, diabetes can
result. Insulin is used medically to treat some forms of
diabetes. Patients with type 1 diabetes depend on external insulin
(most commonly injected) for their survival because the hormone
is no longer produced internally. Patients with type 2 diabetes are often
insulin resistant and may suffer from a
"relative" insulin deficiency. Some patients with type 2 diabetes may
eventually require insulin if dietary modifications or other medications fail
to control blood glucose levels adequately. Over 40% of those with Type 2
diabetes require insulin as part of their diabetes management plan.
Best received 18 Honorary Degrees from universities around the world.
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