Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by elevated of glucose in the blood (hyperglycemia) as a result of the body either not producing enough insulin, or because body cells do not properly respond to the insulin that is produced. Major sources of this glucose are absorption of ingested food in gastrointestinal tract and formation of glucose by the liver from food substance.

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas and its job is to controls the level of glucose in the blood by regulating the production and storage of glucose. Insulin function is to enable body cells to absorb glucose, to turn into energy. If the body cells do not absorb the glucose, the glucose accumulates in the blood (hyperglycemia), leading to various potential medical complications.

There are many types of diabetes, the most common of which are:

• Diabetes mellitus type 1 (type 1 DM)
  It's results from the body's failure to produce insulin, and presently requires the person to inject insulin.
• Diabetes mellitus type 2 (type 2 DM)
  It's results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to use insulin properly, sometimes combined with an absolute insulin deficiency.

Gestational diabetes: is when pregnant women, who have never had diabetes before, have a high blood glucose level during pregnancy. It may precede development of type 2 DM (Diabetes Mellitus).
Other forms of diabetes mellitus include congenital diabetes, which is due to genetic defects of insulin secretion, cystic fibrosis-related diabetes, steroid diabetes induced by high doses of glucocorticoids, and several forms of monogenic diabetes.

All forms of diabetes have been treatable since insulin became medically available in 1921, but a cure is difficult. Pancreas transplants have been tried with limited success in type 1 DM; gastric bypass surgery has been successful in many with morbid obesity and type 2 DM; and gestational diabetes usually resolves after delivery. Diabetes without proper treatments can cause many complications. Acute complications include hypoglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, or nonketotic hyperosmolar coma. Serious long-term complications include cardiovascular disease, chronic renal failure, retinal damage. Adequate treatment of diabetes is thus important, as well as blood pressure control and lifestyle factors such as smoking cessation and maintaining a healthy body weight.

As of 2000 at least 171 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes, or 2.8% of the population. Type 2 diabetes is by far the most common, affecting 90 to 95% of the U.S. diabetes population.