Diabetes is a life-long disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Diabetes can be caused by too little insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas to control blood sugar), resistance to insulin, or both.
To understand diabetes, it is important to first understand the normal process of food metabolism. Several things happen when food is digested:
A sugar called glucose enters the bloodstream. Glucose is a source of fuel for the body.
An organ called the pancreas makes insulin. The role of insulin is to move glucose from the bloodstream into muscle, fat, and liver cells, where it can be used as fuel.
People with diabetes have high blood sugar. This is because their pancreas does not make enough insulin or their muscle, fat, and liver cells do not respond to insulin normally, or both.
There are three major types of diabetes:
Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in childhood. The body makes little or no insulin, and daily injections of insulin are needed to sustain life.
Type 2 diabetes is far more common than type 1 and makes up most of all cases of diabetes. It usually occurs in adulthood. The pancreas does not make enough insulin to keep blood glucose levels normal, often because the body does not respond well to the insulin. Many people with type 2 diabetes do not know they have it, although it is a serious condition.
Type 2 diabetes (11 images)
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(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Type 2 diabetes is a¿life-long disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. It occurs when the body does not respond correctly to insulin, a hormone released by the pancreas. Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes. See also: Diabetes; Type 1 diabetes; Gestational diabetes. Reviewer: Updated by: A.D.A.M. Editorial Team: Greg Juhn, M.T.P.W., David R. Eltz, Kelli A. Stacy. Previously reviewed by Nikheel S. Kolatkar, MD, Clinical and Research Fellow, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. (1/23/2006)Date: 05/22/2007
Type 1 diabetes (5 images)
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(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic (lifelong) disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to properly control blood sugar levels. See also: Diabetes; Gestational diabetes; Type 2 diabetes. Reviewer: Robert Hurd, MD, Professor of Endocrinology, Department of Biology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 02/08/2007
Gestational diabetes (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar (diabetes) that starts or is first diagnosed during pregnancy. Reviewer: Melanie N. Smith, MD, PhD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 08/17/2007
Diabetes insipidus (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Diabetes insipidus is caused by the inability of the kidneys to conserve water, which leads to frequent urination and pronounced thirst. Reviewer: David M. Charytan, M.D., M.Sc., Department of Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 11/16/2006
Glucose test (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
A glucose test measures the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Reviewer: Robert Hurd, MD, Professor of Endocrinology, Department of Biology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 02/08/2007
Hypoglycemia (1 image)
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(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Hypoglycemia is a condition that occurs when your blood sugar (glucose) is too low. Reviewer: Robert Hurd, MD, Professor of Endocrinology, Department of Biology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 04/26/2007
Diabetes diet
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(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Specific diabetic dietary guidelines have been developed by the American Diabetes Association and the American Dietetic Association to improve the management of diabetes. Key principles are to: Achieve weight control through reducing calories; Reduce intake of dietary fat (specifically saturated fat; Individualize guidelines for carbohydrates based on the type of diabetes you have and the control of your blood sugar levels. Reviewer: Cynthia Dennison Haines, MD, family physician specializing in nutrition, fitness, and preventive health, St. John's Mercy Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, and Assistant Clinical Professor, St. Louis University's School of Medicine, Department of Community and Family Medicine.Date: 08/06/2007
Diabetes foot care (2 images)(Doctor-Reviewed information) Reviewer: Robert Hurd, MD, Professor of Endocrinology, Department of Biology, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 04/26/2007
Diabetic ketoacidosis (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Diabetic ketoacidosis is a complication of diabetes. It is caused by the buildup of by-products of fat breakdown, called ketones. This occurs when glucose is not available as a fuel source for the body, and fat is used instead. Reviewer: Robert Hurd, MD, Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare NetworkDate: 08/08/2006
Diabetes insipidus - central (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Central diabetes insipidus is a rare condition that involves extreme thirst and excessive urination. See also: Diabetes insipidus - nephrogenic Reviewer: Robert Hurd, MD, Department of Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 08/08/2006
Congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Congenital nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is a condition in which the kidneys can't conserve water, leading to excessive water loss. See also: Diabetes insipidus - nephrogenic Reviewer: Charles Silberberg, DO, Private Practice specializing in Nephrology, Affiliated with NY Medical College, Division of Nephrology, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 08/14/2007
Diabetes insipidus - nephrogenic (1 image)(Doctor-Reviewed information)
Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is a disorder characterized by the passage of large volumes of urine due to a defect of the kidney tubules. See also diabetes insipidus-central. Reviewer: Colm C. Magee, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Renal Transplant, Brigham & Women's Hospital, and Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.Date: 12/09/2005
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