Diabettis Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus is a complex disorder of metabolism. It is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed for the body to process starches, sugars and other foods into energy for daily life. There are three types of diabetes mellitus, Type 1 DM, Type 2 DM, and Gestatational DM. Type 1 DM is also called insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM) or juvenile onset diabetes. People with this type of diabetes have to take insulin for the rest of their lives. Approximately 850,000 – 1.5 million Americans have type 1 DM.

Type 2 DM is non insulin-dependent. This is also called Adult onset or insulin resistance diabetes mellitus (IRDDM). This type of diabetes mellitus is where the body produces insulin in high or sufficient amounts but because of obesity the insulin is not able to do its job. Thirty minutes of exercise each day along with the proper diet can reverse the effects of Type 2 DM. Approximately 16 million people have Type 2 DM.

Pre-Type 2 DM is when a person’s insulin level is higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes mellitus. Without life style changes, within ten years pre-diabetes will progress to Type 2 DM. Exercising thirty minutes each day, eating healthy and maintaining the proper body weight is all that is needed to prevent Type 2 DM.

Gestational DM is caused during pregnancy. Once the pregnancy is over this usually goes away. This affects about four percent, about 135,000 pregnant women a year.

Approximately seventeen million people have diabetes mellitus and approximately 5.9 million have it and do not know it.