Diabetes Mellitus

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Diabetes Mellitus is a disease in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin, a hormone that helps the body’s tissues absorb glucose so it can be used as a source of energy. In people with diabetes, glucose levels build up in the blood and urine causing excessive urination, thirst, hunger, and problems with fat and protein metabolism. Diabetes mellitus differs from the less common diabetes insipidus, which is caused by lack of the hormone vasopressin that controls the amount of urine secreted.
Diabetes is most common in adults over 45 years of age; in people who are overweight or physically inactive; in individuals who have an immediate family member with diabetes; and in minority populations including African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans. The highest rate of diabetes in the world occurs in Native Americans. More women than men have been diagnosed with the disease.
In diabetes mellitus, without an appropriate level of insulin to help absorption glucose builds up in the blood because it cannot enter the cells. When the blood passes through the kidneys, they cannot absorb all of the excess glucose. This excess glucose spills into the urine, accompanied by water. This causes frequent urination to get rid of the additional water drawn into the urine; excessive thirst to trigger replacement of lost water; and hunger to replace the glucose lost in urination. Additional symptoms may include blurred vision, dramatic weight loss, weakness and fatigue, and nausea and vomiting.
Diabetes is classified into two types. In Type I the body does not produce insulin or produces it only in very small quantities. Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease because the immune system attacks and destroys cells in the pancreas, known as beta cells, that produce insulin. It is believed that genetic and environmental factors, such as viruses or food proteins, may somehow trigger the immune system to destroy these cells. Untreated Type I...