What is diabetes? Explain the types.

Explanation

(i) Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder.
(ii) It is characterised by increased blood glucose level due to insufficient, deficient or failure of insulin secretion.
(iii) This is the most common pancreatic endocrine disorder.
Type I Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM):
(1) IDDM accounts for 10 to 20% of the known diabetics.
(ii) The condition also occurs in children (Juvenile onset diabetes) and young adults, the onset is usually sudden and can be life threatening
(iii) This is caused by the destruction of `beta`-cells of the pancreas.
(iv) It is characterized by abnormally elevated blood glucose levels (hyperglycemia) resulting from inadequate insulin secretion.
Causes : Genetic inheritance and environmental factors (infections due to virus, acute stress) are the cause for this condition.
Type II Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM)
(i) This is also called as adult onset diabetes
(ii) NIDDM accounting for 80% to 90% of the diabetic population.
(iii) It develops slowly, usually milder and more stable. (iv) Insulin production by the pancreas is normal but its action is impaired. (v) The target cells do not respond to insulin.
(vi) It does not allow the movement of glucose into cells.
Causes : The causes are multifactorial which include increasing age obesity, sedentary life style, overeating and physically inactive.