Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar) either due to inadequate insulin production or because the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin or both. The term “diabetes mellitus” describes a metabolic disorder of multiple etiology characterized by chronic hyperglycemia with disturbances of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. The main symptoms are: –
1. Polyuria (frequent urination)
2. Polydipsia (increased thirst)
3. Polyphagia (increased hunger)
The main types of diabetes are:
Type 1 diabetes: It is due to the body’s malfunction to produce insulin in the body, and requires the person to inject insulin. This form was previously referred to as “insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus” (IDDM) or “juvenile diabetes”.
Type 2 diabetes: It is due to insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with an absolute insulin deficiency. This form was previously referred to as non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or “adult-onset diabetes”.
The third main form, Gestational diabetes occurs when pregnant women without a previous diagnosis of diabetes develop a high blood glucose level. It may lead to type 2 DM
Other types of diabetes include those caused by
4. Genetic defects of the beta cell the part of the pancreas that makes insulin such as maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) or neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM)
5. Diseases of the pancreas or conditions that damage the pancreas, such as pancreatitis and cystic fibrosis
6. Excess amounts of certain hormones resulting from some medical conditions such as cortisol in Cushing’s syndrome that work against the action of insulin
7. Medications that reduce insulin action, such as glucocorticoids, or chemicals that destroy beta cells