Diabetes Mellitus Definition

A diabetes mellitus definition is explained simply and clearly here for everyone. Diabetes mellitus, called diabetes, has many types. The most common diabetes types are:

• Type 1 diabetes: results from the body’s failure to produce insulin. It requires you to inject insulin several times a day. It is an auto-immune disease. Your body attacks the pancreas.
• Type 2 diabetes: results from insulin resistance. With this condition your cells fail to use insulin properly. You become insulin-resistant.
• Gestational diabetes: occurs during the third trimester of pregnancy. Sometimes it requires daily insulin.

A diabetes mellitus definition also includes these diabetes types:

• Congenital diabetes due to genetic defects
• Cystic fibrosis-related diabetes
• Steroid diabetes

What causes diabetes?

The answer also involves your pancreas, your insulin levels and your blood glucose levels

Your pancreas is located behind your stomach on the left side of your body. It is near your waist. Your pancreas has beta cells that produce a chemical, insulin. Insulin is a hormone.

Normally when you eat, the pancreas produces insulin that mixes with digested food. Some of the food has turned to glucose, known as blood sugar. The insulin allows the cells of your body to use glucose. The glucose is fuel for the body - fuel to maintain a body temperature of 98.6°F; and, fuel to repair cells and grow new ones.

Type 2 diabetes happens when one of the following occurs:

• Your pancreas doesn’t produce any insulin.
• Your pancreas produces very little insulin.
• Your body doesn’t recognize the insulin and cannot use it.

When this happens, the sugar (glucose) stays in your bloodstream. It does not get into your cells. It spills out into your urine and leaves the body. Your cells are starving for fuel.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when your fasting blood sugar level is above 125 mg/dL. Fasting blood sugar is the level after a night’s sleep with nothing to eat or drink in the morning.

The most common form of diabetes is type 2 diabetes. About 95% of all cases of diabetes are type 2. About 80% of them are overweight.

Facts About Diabetes

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) publishes statistics about diabetes every year.

• 23.6 million children and adults in the US have diabetes. That is 7.8% of the population.
• 17.9 million people are diagnosed with the disease.
• 5.7 million people are undiagnosed. That represents 5,700,000 persons
• 57 million people have pre-diabetes.
• About one in every 500 children has type 1 diabetes.
• 2 million adolescents have pre-diabetes.
• About 25 % of people ages 60 and older have diabetes.
• 12 million men have diabetes. 11.5 million women have diabetes.
• Diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in the US in 2006.
• Heart disease was noted on 69% of diabetes-related death certificates.
• Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates that are 2 to 4 times higher than adults without diabetes.
• 75% of adults with diabetes also reported high blood pressure.
• Diabetes is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults.
• Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure among adults.
• Diabetes causes 60 – 70% of nerve damage in adults.

The cost of diabetes is $174 billion. It is more if you factor in pre-diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
This is adapted from the ADA Fact Sheet at http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-statistics/

Conclusion

We gave you a diabetes mellitus definition and explained what causes diabetes. The majority of you suffer from type 2 diabetes. It is manageable with small lifestyle changes. We encourage you to keep learning. Let us know if you have any questions by writing in to the web site.

Margaret Stenerson
February 24, 2010