Facts to Know about Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus affects millions of people worldwide according to the current estimates from the World Health Organization. This dreaded disease is a major cause of death and can cause some complications that can make life miserable for those affected. However, many of these deaths and complications can be avoided if people knew a bit more about diabetes and how to handle it.

In this section, you will learn a lot about diabetes mellitus. The information provided will help you cope with diabetes or help you understand what your loved one who has diabetes has to cope with.

Q - What is diabetes?

A - In simple terms, diabetes mellitus is a disorder in which there is an abnormal increase in the level of glucose in the blood. This abnormal increase usually happens when the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin OR when insulin is unable to carry out its function in the body.

Our bodies are made up of millions of cells that need energy to survive. We humans get energy from the food we eat. When you eat, the food in your gut is broken down to simpler forms - glucose, amino acids, fatty acids etc - and absorbed into the blood. The cells of the body get glucose from the blood which they use to provide energy and carry out some other vital functions.

Cells NEED insulin to enable them absorb glucose from the blood.

Cells have gates that allow glucose to move in and out of them and insulin is responsible for "opening" and "closing" those gates. When there is no insulin, the gates remain closed and the cell doesn't get its glucose. Also when there are few gates or the gates refuse to be "opened" by insulin, the cells don't get sufficient glucose. The result in both cases is that there is excess glucose left in the blood stream because the cells couldn't absorb enough. And it's this elevation of the blood glucose that causes of many of the bad effects of diabetes.

Q - Who does it affect?

A - Diabetes mellitus can affect anybody. But there are certain groups of people that have been found to be more likely to be affected by DM than others.

1. Relatives of someone already diagnosed with diabetes
2. Overweight and Obese people.
3. Some ethnic groups have been shown to be more affected e.g. Hispanic, African American
4. It's more common in people older then 45 years.
5. Women who have had gestational diabetes, or who have had very big babies at birth.( >4kg , >9 pounds)
6. People who live sedentary lifestyles.

Q - What are the types of diabetes?

A - There are 2 very common types of diabetes and then there are others which aren't so common.

• Type 1 Diabetes - It was formerly called Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM). The major defect in this type of DM is that there is a lack of insulin in the body. The pancreas fails to produce insulin. So the gates that allow glucose to get into the cell remain shut. It is common in young people and it's usually treated by insulin injections and diet. Click to learn more about type 1 diabetes .
• Type 2 Diabetes - This is more common than type 1 and usually affects adults and older people and those who are overweight or obese. It was formerly known as Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM). In this type, the body still produces insulin, but the gates which are supposed to allow glucose to enter the cells are too few in number or they don't allow insulin to 'open' them. It is usually treated by making the body produce more insulin to overcome the resistance. Also certain measures like exercise and weight loss are adopted to make the body produce more gates. Click to learn more about Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
• Gestational diabetes - Gestational diabetes occurs when a pregnant woman develops diabetes for the first time while she is pregnant and it resolves after the pregnancy. It is associated with some very bad complications to the mother and baby. It is usually treated by dietary modifications and insulin injections but in some cases it becomes necessary to add oral anti-diabetics to dietary therapy.

Other types of diabetes include those caused by other diseases like pancreatitis, haemchromatosis etc

Q - What causes Diabetes?

A - No definite cause of diabetes has been identified. However it's been found to be more common among some groups of people as already mentioned above. Research has shown that there is certain genetic and environmental factors combine to make diabetes more common.

Q - What are the symptoms of diabetes?

A - The common symptoms of diabetes mellitus include

1. Frequent passing of urine which is called polyuria by medics.
2. Excessive thirst and drinking of water which is called polydipsia by medics.
3. Excessive hunger also known as polyphagia by medics.

Other symptoms include fatigue, frequent infections and delay in wound healing etc.

You should also note that it is possible to have diabetes and not know because the symptoms are not always present. In such cases the disease goes on for a while before it is detected. Sometimes it is detected too late when other complications have developed. Learn more on symptoms of diabetes mellitus here.

Q - How is the diagnosis confirmed?

A - To be sure that someone has diabetes, a blood glucose test needs to be done. There are 2 common tests. One done when you have not eaten for 6 hours called the Fasting blood glucose. And the second is taken 2 hours after eating a meal. This is called a 2 hour post prandial glucose.

There are other means of estimating the level of blood glucose but are not as accurate. A good example is a urine glucose test

Please note that there is a difference between the blood glucose values and plasma glucose values.

Q - What are the complications of Diabetes?

A - The common complications of diabetes include blindness, foot gangrene leading to amputation, sexual dysfunction, kidney disease, and cardiovascular problems. Most of these complications can be avoided or delayed if proper treatment is started early.

Q - How is Diabetes Treated?

A - At the moment there is no cure for diabetes. However it can be treated by making sure that the glucose in the blood stays within the normal limits. The main treatment options being used today include

1. Lifestyle modifications such as eating healthy diets and exercise and weight loss programs modifications,
2. Insulin injections and the new insulin inhalers
And
3. Diabetic pills

Other forms of treatment being developed include islet cell transplants, pancreatic transplants etc . Click to learn more on treatment of diabetes.

Created - May, 2006
Last edited - August, 2009