Diabetes mellitus
From Diabetes Wiki
Diabetes mellitus (often referred to simply as diabetes) is a medical condition in which the body doesn't produce or use insulin, leading to a dangerously high level of glucose in the blood. The American Diabetes Association estimates that 20.8 million people in the United States have diabetes -- 7% of the total population. [1]
There are 20.8 million children and adults in the United States, or 7% of the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately, 6.2 million people (or nearly one-third) are unaware that they have the disease.
There are several types of diabetes mellitus:
- Type 1 diabetes (sometimes called "juvenile diabetes")
- Type 2 diabetes
- Gestational diabetes
- LADA - Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults
- MODY - Maturity Onset Diabetes of Youth
- Monogenetic Diabetes
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[edit] History
The term diabetes was first coined by the ancient Greek physician Aretaeus of Cappadocia. The term is derived from the Greek word diabaínein that literally means "passing through," or "siphon," a reference to one of diabetes' major symptoms -- excessive urine production.
In 1675, English physician Thomas Willis added the word mellitus, a Latin word meaning "honey" -- a reference to the sweet taste of a diabetic person's urine. This sweet taste had been noticed in urine by the ancient Greeks, Chinese, Egyptians, and Indians. In 1776, Matthew Dobson confirmed that the sweet taste was because of an excess of a kind of sugar in the urine and blood of people with diabetes.
[edit] Symptoms
Early symptoms of diabetes can include:
- Frequent urination (Polyuria) and thirst (Polydipsia): The increased glucose in a diabetic person's urine draws water out of the blood; this increases the need to urinate, and therefore increases thirst. The urine draws excessive glucose and ketones out of the body.
- Fatigue: When the glucose/insulin system is functioning properly, insulin opens up muscle cells and allows glucose to enter, providing the cells with fuel. When this system breaks down, the muscles don't have the fuel that they need to work.
- Weight loss: Insulin builds muscle tissue. When insulin isn't functioning properly in the body, the person can lose muscle tone and drop in weight.
- Persistent hunger: Without insulin, glucose cannot enter the cells, so while there is excessive glucose in the blood, the cells are literally starving.
- Persistent vaginal infection: A higher level of glucose in vaginal fluids can encourage bacteria to thrive.
[edit] Risk factors
- A family history of diabetes
- Ethnicity: Type 2 diabetes is more common is African-Americans, Latinos, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans.
- Obesity for type 2 diabetes
- Gestation diabetes or having had a baby weighing over 9 pounds for type 2 diabetes.
[edit] Complications
Major complications of Diabetes mellitus include:
- Diabetic ketoacidosis:
- Nonketotic hyperosmolar coma:
- Hypoglycemia:
- Amputation
- Vascular disease
- Macrovascular disease
There may arise many other complications on account of diabetes as the condition affects all the parts of the body.
