Diabetes Type II

Diabetes is an impairment in the way the body handles fats, proteins, and especially carbohydrates. This condition is as a result of a lack or partial lack in insulin production, or response to the insulin which is produced.

Diabetes is divided into insipidus and mellitus forms. The mellitus form is the most common, and it is further divided into type I and type II, and will be discussed in this article.

Type I is also referred to as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus - IDDM, and type II as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus - NIDDM. IDDM is a condition in patients for whom insulin therapy is essential because they do not produce insulin, or very little, the onset is usually during childhood. NIDDM might require insulin, but isn't absolutely necessary, onset is usually during adulthood.

The World Health Organization describes diabetes as a fasting venous plasma glucose concentration of 7.0 mmol/L or greater than 11 mmol/L two hours after a carbohydrate meal, even if fasting glucose concentration was normal.

Persons at risk at developing diabetes include those who have a strong family history of the condition, and those who might have developed the condition during pregnancy, also included as causes include obesity, unsatisfactory diet, sedentary lifestyle and increased urbanization.

The diagnosis of diabetes is done by considering the symptoms, and further by blood glucose testing.