Diabetes

Diabetes: Introduction

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
• more symptoms...»

See full list of 64 symptoms of Diabetes

Home Diagnostic Testing

Home medical testing related to Diabetes:

• High Cholesterol: Home Testing:
  • Home Cholesterol Tests
  • Home Triglycerides Tests
  • Home Blood Pressure Test Devices
• High Blood Pressure: Home Testing
  • Home Blood Pressure Hypertension Tests
  • Home Blood Pressure Monitors
  • Home Heart Tests
• Heart Health: Home Testing:
  • Heart Rate Monitors
  • Irregular Heartbeat Detection
  • Heart Electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • Home Blood Pressure Testing
  • Home Cholesterol Testing
• Thyroid: Home Testing:
  • Home Thyroid Function Testing
  • Home TSH Tests
  • Home Adrenal Function Tests
• Menopause: Related Home Testing:
  • Home Menopause Tests
  • Home FSH Hormone Tests
  • Home Osteoporosis Testing
• Vaginal Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Vaginal Infection Tests
  • Home Vaginal PH Tests
  • Home Yeast Infection Tests
  • Home Candida Kits
  • Home Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Test Kits
  • Home Bladder Test Kits
• Diet & Weight Loss: Home Testing:
  • Home Weight Testing
  • Home Body Fat Testing (BMI)
  • Home Body Fat Monitoring
  • Home Fitness Testing
• Adrenal Gland Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Adrenal Function Testing
  • Home Thyroid Function Tests
• Breast Cancer: Related Home Tests:
  • Home Breast Cancer Test Kits
  • Home Breast Lump Detection
• Kidney Health: Home Testing:
  • Home Kidney Testing
  • Home Microalbumin Tests (Kidney)
  • Home Urine Protein Tests (Kidney)
  • Home Urinary Tract Infection Test Kits
• Diabetes: Related Home Testing:
  • Home Diabetes Testing
  • Home Blood Glucose Test Kits
  • Home Urine Glucose Tests
  • Home Urine Ketone Tests
  • Home Diabetes HbA1c Tests
  • Home Microalbumin Tests (Kidney)
  • Home Urine Protein Tests (Kidney)
  • Home Kidney Health Tests
  • Home Eye Health Tests
• more tests...»

Diabetes: Complications

Review possible medical complications related to Diabetes:

• Short-term complications
  • Hypoglycemia - does not occur from diabetes itself but from the treatments for diabetes (pills or insulin).
  • Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar Nonketotic Syndrome (HHNS) - a dangerous syndrome from high blood sugars; typically in Type 2 diabetics at diagnosis or non-compliant to treatment.
  • Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) - a dangerous condition due to high blood sugars; typically in Type 1 diabetics at diagnosis or non-compliant to treatment.
  • Diabetic lens - vision distortions from high blood sugars; usually reverses when sugars controlled.
  • Hyperinsulemia - insulin in the blood rises due to insulin resistance.
• Kidney complications (see Kidney symptoms)
• more complications...»

Medical Textbooks Online about Diabetes

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 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
• more tests...»

See full list of 43 diagnostic tests for Diabetes

Wrongly Diagnosed with Diabetes?

• Misdiagnosis of Diabetes
• Failure to diagnose Diabetes
• Hidden causes of Diabetes (possibly wrongly diagnosed)
• Undiagnosed: Diabetes

Diabetes: Self Assessment Tools

• Heart Attack -- Self Assessment Tools
• Stress -- Self Assessment Tools
• Exercise -- Self Assessment Tools
• Smoking -- Self Assessment Tools
• Weight Management -- Self Assessment Tools
• Heart Disease -- Self Assessment Tools
• Fertility -- Self Assessment Tools
• more tools...»

Diabetes: Medical Mistakes

• Obesity -- Health Mistakes
• Diabetes -- Health Mistakes
• Hypertension -- Health Mistakes
• Cholesterol -- Health Mistakes
• Metabolic Syndrome -- Health Mistakes
• Women's Health Mistakes:
  • Womens Health -- Health Mistakes
  • Contraception -- Health Mistakes
  • Fertility -- Health Mistakes
• more mistakes...»

Diabetes: Marketplace Products, Discounts & Offers

Products, offers and promotion categories available for Diabetes:

• Diabetes products & offers »
• Dieting & Weight management: products & offers »
• Heart health products & offers »
• Mom & Baby
• Pregnancy
• Womens Health
• High cholesterol
• more product offers...»

Diabetes: Undiagnosed Conditions

Commonly undiagnosed diseases in related medical categories:

• Chronic Major Diseases that are commonly Undiagnosed:
  • High Cholesterol -- Undiagnosed
  • Heart Disease -- Undiagnosed
  • Cancer -- Undiagnosed
  • Depression -- Undiagnosed
  • Type 2 Diabetes -- Undiagnosed
  • Type 1 Diabetes -- Undiagnosed
  • Hypertension -- Undiagnosed
  • Hemochromatosis -- Undiagnosed
  • Metabolic Syndrome -- Undiagnosed
• more undiagnosed conditions...»

In-Depth Reports: Diagnosis and Misdiagnosis

Diabetes diagnosis and misdiagnosis (In-Depth Report): Detailed report on diabetes misdiagnoses, rare curable types, and less common diagnostic issues....read full report »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Diabetes

Misdiagnosis and Diabetes

Metabolic syndrome often undiagnosed: Metabolic syndrome, also known as Syndrome X, is an often overlooked medical condition that causes a cluster of chronic symptoms. There are often four symptoms and...read more »

Heart attacks can be undiagnosed: Although the most severe symptoms of heart attack are hard to miss, there are varying degrees of severity. It is altogether too common for people to...read more »

Heart attacks can be overdiagnosed: Although many people die from heart attacks, there are also many cases where people fear that they have a heart attack, but actually have something milder. Some of the...read more »

Undiagnosed causes of weight gain and obesity: Although obesity may be related to lifestyle issues, there are also a number of medical causes of weight gain or obesity that...read more »

Rare undiagnosed iron disorder causes various severe conditions: The rare "iron overload" disorder, hemochromatosis, can cause a variety of symptoms and result in various severe conditions that mimic several of...read more »

Cluster of diseases with difficult diagnosis issues: There is a well-known list of medical conditions that are all somewhat difficult to diagnose, and all can present in a variety of...read more »

Rare type of breast cancer without a lump: There is a less common form of breast cancer called inflammatory breast cancer. Its symptoms can be an inflammation of the breast tissue, such as with a breast rash with...read more »

Poorly healing leg rashes a classic sign of chronic disease: Recurring leg rashes, or poorly healing leg rashes, are a classic sign of undiagnosed diabetes, particularly of Type 2 diabetes, but also ...read 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. However, there are also...read more »

Over-diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension in obese patients: A diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension, particularly pulmonary arterial hypertension, is often a...read more »

Obesity-related conditions undiagnosed in children: A variety of conditions are associated with obesity (see obesity), but these tend to be undiagnosed more often...read more »

Pituitary conditions often undiagnosed cause of symptoms: There are a variety of symptoms that can be caused by a pituitary disorder (see symptoms of pituitary disorders). For example, ...read more »

Misdiagnosed weight-related causes of infertility: A woman's weight status can affect her level of fertility. Although obesity or overweight can in themselves reduce fertility, there are...read more »

Silent attack in diabetics: Heart disease is the leading cause of death among diabetics. Patients with type 2 diabetes above the age of 60-65 years are susceptible to silent heart attacks.Diabetes...read more »

Distessing case of pruritus ani: Pruritus ani can be a distressing condition and gets worse at night, during hot weather and physical exercise in children, threadworm infestation should be suspected. In...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Diabetes

Diabetes: Research Doctors & Specialists

Research related physicians and medical specialists:

• Diabetes & Endocrinology Specialists:
  • Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism
  • Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility
  • Pediatric Endocrinology (Child Hormones)
• Cholesterol Specialists:
  • Clinical Lipidology (Cholesterol/Triglycerides)
• Cardiac (Heart) Specialists:
  • Cardiology (Heart specialists)
  • Pediatric Cardiology (Child Heart Specialists)
  • Cardiothoracic Surgery
  • Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology
  • Interventional Cardiology
• Pregnancy & Fertility Health Specialists:
  • Maternal & Fetal Medicine
  • Obstetrics & Gynecology
  • Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine
• Womens Health Specialists:
  • Gynecological Oncology
• more specialists...»

Other doctor, physician and specialist research services:

• Rate Your Doctor Online
• Research Your Doctor Online
• Review Patient Surveys About Your Doctor
• Research local specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.

Hospitals & Clinics: Diabetes

Research quality ratings and patient safety measures for medical facilities in specialties related to Diabetes:

• Heart Health (Cardiac Care) -- Hospital Quality Ratings
• Womens Health -- Hospital Quality Ratings
• more hospital ratings...»

Hospital & Clinic quality ratings » »

Choosing the Best Hospital: More general information, not necessarily in relation to Diabetes, on hospital performance and surgical care quality:

• 50 Best Hospitals Report
• Outstanding Patient Experinece Award Winning Hospitals
• Women's Health Best Hospitals
• Patient Safety
• Hospital Quality and Clinical Excellence Study (2009)

Diabetes: Rare Types

Rare types of diseases and disorders in related medical categories:

• Chronic Major Diseases -- Rare Types:
  • High Cholesterol -- Rare Types
  • Heart Disease -- Rare Types
  • Cancer -- Rare Types
  • Depression -- Rare Types
  • Type 2 Diabetes -- Rare Types
  • Type 1 Diabetes -- Rare Types
  • Hypertension -- Rare Types
  • Hemochromatosis -- Rare Types
  • Metabolic Syndrome -- Rare Types
• more rare diseases...»

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
• more causes...»

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
• more treatments...»

See full list of 67 treatments for Diabetes

Latest Treatments for Diabetes

• Metformin
• Biguanides
• Sulfonylureas
• Glimepiride
• Glipizide
• more treatments...»

See full list of 18 latest treatments for Diabetes

News Archives for Diabetes

Medical news articles related to Diabetes include:

• Diabetes Drug Byetta May Aid Weight Loss in Obese Patients
• Effect of Strict Diabetes Control on Heart Still Unclear
• Alcohol, Cigarettes and Diabetes Up Colorectal Cancer Risk
• Type 1 Diabetes Rates Rising Among European Children
• Productivity Takes a Hit From Obesity, Diabetes
• Drug May Not Help Diabetes-Related Eye Damage
• Pancreatic Islets in Forefront of Diabetes Research
• more health news...»

Source: HealthDay News

Videos for Diabetes

Patient Surveys for Diabetes

• Patient Profile Survey
  Take Survey  View Results
• Survey about the symptoms of your Diabetes
  Take Survey  View Results

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
• more trials...»

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

Diabetes: Broader Related Topics

• All Disease Categories
• Chronic Illness
• Systemic disorders
• Immune deficiency conditions
• Pancreas conditions
• Under-diagnosed conditions
• more types...»

Types of 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
• more types...»

See full list of 8 Types of Diabetes

Curable Types of Diabetes

Possibly curable types of Diabetes include:

• Malnutrition related diabetes
• Diazoxide induced diabetes
• Polycyctic ovarian disease related diabetes
• Steroid induced diabetes
• Hemochromatosis induced diabetes
• Gestational diabetes
• more types...»

Rare Types of Diabetes:

Rare types of Diabetes include:

• MODY diabetes
• Hemochromatosis induced diabetes
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus in children
• Impaired glucose tolerance
• Tumours of pancreas induced diabetes
• Syndrome X
• more types...»

Stories from Users Related to 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)

Definitions of Diabetes:

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