European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

DIABETES MELLITUS – AN OVERVIEW

Sandeep Prakash*, Gulab Chandra, Amit Kishor Srivastava, Rohit Mohan and Amresh Gupta

ABSTRACT

It is most common chronic diseases, affecting over 6% of the adult population in Western society, and with a prevalence that is rising dramatically worldwide. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a disorder of glucose homeostasis characterized by hyperglycaemia, the hallmark of metabolic abnormality. Although treatment of hyperglycaemia plays a key role in its management, therapies directed at other comorbid conditions, such as dyslipidaemia, hypertension, hypercoagulability, obesity, and insulin resistance, have also been a major focus of research and therapy. Diabetes Mellitus is an ancient medical term which early physicians used to designate a mysterious disease characterized by profuse, sweet-tasting urine. As medicine progressed the meaning of the term changed considerably. Unfortunately, the concept that diabetes mellitus is a disease-a distinct pathological entity has persisted and has caused much confusion both among the general public and within the health care professions. In fact, diabetes is a highly complex phenomenon which defies any simple explanation. It is clear, however, that diabetes is a major health problem which affects up to 5% of the American population and which causes both premature death and major morbidity including blindness, kidney failure, premature cardiovascular disease, and gangrene of the lower extremities. The purpose of this overview is to present a framework for assembling all of the countless facts about diabetes for investigators and practitioners in behavioural medicine. Because of the breadth and complexity of the subject we have had to limit depth of coverage.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, Epidemiology, Medications.