Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus, often referred to simply as diabetes, is a syndrome of disordered metabolism, usually
due to a combination of hereditary and environmental causes, resulting in abnormally high blood sugar
levels (hyperglycemia). Blood glucose levels are controlled by the hormone insulin made in the beta cells
of the pancreas. The two most common forms of diabetes are due to either a diminished production of
insulin (in type 1), or diminished response by the body to insulin (in type 2 and gestational). Both lead to
hyperglycemia, which largely causes the acute signs of diabetes: excessive urine production, resulting
compensatory thirst and increased fluid intake, blurred vision, unexplained weight loss, lethargy, and
changes in energy metabolism. All types of diabetes have been treatable since insulin became medically
available in 1921, but there is no widely available cure for any form of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes can
only be treated with injected insulin, with dietary and other lifestyle adjustments commonly being part
of the treatment. Type 2 is usually managed with a combination of dietary treatment, tablets and, frequently,
insulin supplementation. Insulin can also be delivered continuously by a specialized pump which provides
subcutaneous insulin through a temporary catheter.