Diabetes

Introduction: Diabetes

Diabetes is a failure or reduction in the body's ability to handle sugar. It is a common disease with around 4% (or 8 million) Americans having diabetes. The single greatest problem with diabetes diagnosis is the failure to diagnose it, and the estimates of those who have the disease but are currently undiagnosed add another 4% or 8 million Americans. So only about half the people who currently have diabetes are diagnosed. Most people have Type 2 diabetes or "adult diabetes" rather than the insulin-requiring Type 1 diabetes which afflicts the young. This number does not even include those who currently have impaired glucose tolerance which is a milder precursor to Type 2 diabetes.

There are also various rare secondary types of diabetes caused by an underlying condition such as hemochromatosis, PCOS, or other conditions or medications.

Symptoms of Diabetes

• No early symptoms - many people have Type 2 diabetes without knowing it
• Early mild symptoms - from moderate blood sugars (which are still dangerous and lead to serious complications):
  • Abscess
  • Skin rashes
  • Skin infections

See full list of 64 symptoms of Diabetes

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Diabetes:

• Home Diabetes Tests
• Home Blood Glucose Tests
• Home Urine Glucose Tests
• Home Urine Ketone Tests
• Home Diabetes HbA1c Tests
• Home Microalbumin Tests
• Home Urine Protein Tests
• Home Kidney Tests
• Home Eye Tests

Medical Textbooks Online about Diabetes

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2007 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Diagnostic Tests for Diabetes

• Physical Examination
• Urine sugar test
• Urine ketones test
• Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) - also called "glucose challenge" test.
• Blood glucose tests

See full list of 43 diagnostic tests for Diabetes

Wrongly Diagnosed with Diabetes?

• Misdiagnosis of Diabetes
• Failure to diagnose Diabetes
• Underlying causes of Diabetes (possibly wrongly diagnosed)
• Failure to diagnose Diabetes

Misdiagnosis and Diabetes

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Poorly healing leg rashes a classic sign: Recurring leg rashes, or poorly healing leg rashes, are a classic sign of undiagnosed diabetes,...more »

Leg cramps at night a classic sign: The symptom of having leg muscle cramps, particularly at night, is a classic sign of undiagnosed diabetes....more »

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Read more about Misdiagnosis and Diabetes

Causes of Diabetes

• Metabolic syndrome - a syndrome with 4 key features (diabetes, hypertension, obesity/overweight, and high cholesterol).
• Insulin resistance
• Hemochromatosis - iron overload causes pancreas damage that can mimic Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
• Chronic pancreatitis - pancreas damage that can mimic diabetes.
• Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) - ovary cysts inhibit natural female hormones causing insulin resistance

See full list of 25 causes of Diabetes

More information about causes of Diabetes:

• Medications, drugs, or substances causing Diabetes (76 listings)
• Drug interactions causing Diabetes (78 listings)
• Underlying causes of Diabetes
• Diabetes as a complication caused by other conditions
• Diabetes as a symptom
• Medical news summaries relating to Causes of Diabetes
• Cause statistics for Diabetes

Treatments for Diabetes

• Diet changes
• Weight loss
• Exercise - with care and under medical advice; take extra care if using diabetes pills or insulin.
• Diabetes control - ongoing monitoring and control of diabetic blood sugar levels:
  • Diabetic blood sugar control

See full list of 67 treatments for Diabetes

Videos for Diabetes

Patient Surveys for Diabetes

• Patient Profile Survey
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• Survey about the symptoms of your Diabetes
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Prognosis for Diabetes

Prognosis for Diabetes: Good in the short-term, possibility of severe complications later in life.

More about prognosis of Diabetes

Reseach about Diabetes

Visit our research pages for current research about Diabetes treatments.

Clinical Trials for Diabetes

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Diabetes include:

• Evaluation of a Diabetes Vaccine in Newly Diagnosed Diabetics - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Diabetes Technology Study of Real-Time Glucose Alerts in the Team Management of Diabetes - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• Diabetes Aerobic and Resistance Exercise (DARE) Study - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006)
• A Study of the Safety and Efficacy of Topiramate in the Treatment of Obese, Type 2 Diabetes Patients on a Controlled Diet - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - topiramate
• A Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Topiramate in Obese, Type 2 Diabetic Patients Inadequately Controlled on Sulfonylurea Therapy - This study is no longer recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - topiramate

See full list of 1415 Clinical Trials for Diabetes

Statistics for Diabetes

• Medical statistics for Diabetes
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Diabetes
• Death and Mortality statistics for Diabetes
• Society statistics for Diabetes

Types of Diabetes

• Type 1 diabetes - the classic insulin-requiring juvenile form, but actually only about 5-10% of cases.
• Type 2 diabetes - the most common adult form in over 40's, about 90-95% of cases.
• Impaired glucose tolerance - an early mild form of "pre-diabetes" often leading to Type 2 diabetes; see also types of IGT.
• Gestational diabetes - pregnancy-caused diabetes; see also types of gestational diabetes.
• MODY diabetes - a rare genetic subtype

See full list of 8 Types of Diabetes

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User Interactive Forums

Read about other experiences, ask a question about Diabetes, or answer someone else's question, on our message boards:

• I can not get a diagnosis. Please help.
• Tell us your medical story.
• Share your misdiagnosis story.
• What is the best treatment for this?
• See all the forums.

Article Excerpts about Diabetes

Diabetes Overview: NIDDK (Excerpt)

Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism--the way our bodies use digested food for growth and energy. Most of the food we eat is broken down into glucose, the form of sugar in the blood. Glucose is the main source of fuel for the body.

After digestion, glucose passes into the bloodstream, where it is used by cells for growth and energy. For glucose to get into cells, insulin must be present. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a large gland behind the stomach.

When we eat, the pancreas is supposed to automatically produce the right amount of insulin to move glucose from blood into our cells. In people with diabetes, however, the pancreas either produces little or no insulin, or the cells do not respond appropriately to the insulin that is produced. Glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body. Thus, the body loses its main source of fuel even though the blood contains large amounts of glucose. (Source: excerpt from Diabetes Overview: NIDDK)

Am I at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes: NIDDK (Excerpt)

Diabetes is a disease in which blood glucose levels are above normal. People with diabetes have problems converting food to energy. After a meal, food is broken down into a sugar called glucose, which is carried by the blood to cells throughout the body. Cells use a chemical known as insulin, made in the pancreas, to help them process blood glucose into energy. (Source: excerpt from Am I at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes: NIDDK)

Diabetes Statistics in the United States: NIDDK (Excerpt)

Diabetes mellitus is a group of diseases characterized by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Diabetes can be associated with serious complications and premature death, but people with diabetes can take measures to reduce the likelihood of such occurrences. (Source: excerpt from Diabetes Statistics in the United States: NIDDK)

Diabetes: NWHIC (Excerpt)

Diabetes is a disorder of metabolism—the way our bodies use digested food for growth and energy. Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose (a sugar) that our bodies use for energy. After digestion, the glucose enters the bloodstream where it is available for body cells to use for growth and energy. The pancreas, an organ near the stomach, produces a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the body's cells. With diabetes, the pancreas either doesn't make enough insulin or the body can't use the insulin properly (insulin resistance). As a result, glucose builds up in the blood, overflows into the urine, and passes out of the body instead of being used by the cells for energy. Thus, the body loses its main source of fuel even though the blood contains large amounts of glucose. (Source: excerpt from Diabetes: NWHIC)

Wiki article about Diabetes

See full article about Diabetes

Definitions of Diabetes:

Any of several metabolic disorders marked by excessive urination and persistent thirst - (Source - WordNet 2.1)