DIABETES MELLITUS: AN OVERVIEW

Medical

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder which is characterized by the presence of hyperglycemia. The two major types include, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (Type 1 diabetes) in which the body does not produce sufficient insulin and insulin needs to be administered externally and the other type is non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (Type 2 diabetes) which results from insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to utilize insulin efficiently. Presently, the available pharmacotherapy for the treatment of diabetes mellitus includes insulin and oral hypoglycemic agents. Diabetes mellitus is rising to an epidemic level and early diagnosis and effective treatment strategies are required for management of the disease. Although lifestyle modifications and medications can decrease the severity of the disease to a significant level, more research is required to develop an effective treatment. DM affects people of all age groups around the globe, but it is more prevalent in the Asian and African continents. People from low and middle-income countries are mostly affected. The cause of the disease can be hereditary in some cases but in a lot of cases it is acquired by activities like excess alcohol consumption, smoking and sedentary lifestyle. DM can be life threatening if left untreated for years. The symptoms can be easily controlled with proper medications and lifestyle changes. People suffering from DM are at the risk of developing many other complications like stroke, myocardial infarction and atherosclerosis. DM can be controlled to a significant extent but not completely cured. A lot more research effort is required for clinicians to come up with a definitive cure for the disease.

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