health

Diabetes melllitus, or DM, is a lifelong disorder in which the patient’s
body cannot regulate the levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. The problem
may be caused by too little insulin—a hormone produced by the
pancreas that helps the body use the glucose properly—or the body’s
resistance to using the insulin that is secreted by the pancreas.

There are three major types of diabetes:

• Type 1. Type 1 diabetes, which is sometimes called insulindependent
  diabetes because the patient must take a daily dose
  of insulin in order to live, is a disease in which the person’s
  immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that produc
  insulin. This type of diabetes usually develops over a short period
  of time, most often in children and young adults. It accounts for
  5–10 percent of cases of diabetes diagnosed in the United States.
  
• Type 2 diabetes. Type 2, sometimes called adult-onset diabetes,
  is the most common type, accounting for 90–95 percent of cases
  in North America. It usually develops relatively slowly and is
  associated with being overweight and a family history of diabetes.
  Most people with type 2 diabetes are resistant to insulin rather
  than having a pancreas that is not producing enough of the hormone.
  
• Gestational diabetes. Some women develop a temporary form of diabetes
  toward the end of their pregnancy that goes away after the
  baby is born. Women with gestational diabetes have an increased risk of
  developing type 2 diabetes within five to ten years.
  Doctors also consider a condition known as pre-diabetes or impaired-
  glucose tolerance to be a health concern. People with this condition have
  a higher-than-normal blood glucose level but not high enough to meet
  the criteria for a diagnosis of diabetes. Many people with pre-diabetes
  will develop type 2 diabetes within ten years.