Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus

The term Diabetes mellitus describes a metabolic disorde of multiple etiology characterized by chronic hyperglycemia with disturbance of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both.

Types of Diabetes mellitus

A. Type 1 Diabetes mellitus

This is formerly known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus ( IDDM ), Characterized by hyperglycemia due to an absolute deficiency of insulin. Usually caused by autoimmune destruction of the beta cells of the pancreas, with the presence of certain antibodies in blood. A complex disease caused by mutations in more than one gene, as well as by environmental factors.

Patients require lifelong insulin injections for survival in this case. This type of dianetes mellitus is usually develops in childreen and adolescents (although can occur later in life ). This may present with severe symptoms such as coma or ketoacidosis. Patients are usually not obese with this type of diabetes, but obesity is not incompatible with diagnosis. Patients are at increased risk of developing microvascular and macrovascular complication.

B. Type 2 Diabetes mellitus

This is generally called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus ( NIDDM ), Charecterized by hyperglycemia due to defect in insulin secretion . Usually with a contribution from insulin resistance. Patients usually do not require lifelong insulin but can control blood glucose with diet and exercise alone, or in combination with oral medications, or with the addition of insulin. This type of diabetes is usually develops in adult people, related to obesity, decreased physical activity and unhealthy diets.This occurs more frequently in individuals with hypertension, dyslipidemia (abnormal cholesterol profile), and central obesity, and is a component of "metabolic syndrome".

Note:

Gestational diabetes

This is charecterized by hyperglycemia of varying severity diagnosed during pregnancy ( without previously known diabetes) and usually resolving within 6 weeks of delivery. In this case risk to pregnancy itself including congenital malformations, and increased birth weight and an elevated risk of perinatal mortality,and increased risk to women of developimg Type 2 diabetes later in life.