by Melody St. John

Created on: February 21, 2009   Last Updated: July 30, 2011

Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a metabolic condition characterized by high blood glucose levels as a result of insufficient insulin or cellular resistance to the action of insulin.

It has four major types which include type 1 or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), type 2, formerly called non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), gestational diabetes which is brought about by pregnancy; and pre-diabetes which is characterized by blood glucose levels above normal but not high enough to warrant a type Ii diabetes diagnosis..

Type II diabetes may account for approximately 90 to 95 percent of all diagnosed cases of diabetes, easily making it the most common type of this metabolic disorder.

Disease mechanism of type 2 diabetes

To produce energy and to power various processes at the cellular level, the body needs to convert key nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins and fats into glucose. Once produced, glucose enters the blood circulation so it an reach the cells of different body organs and power their various vital processes. But to be able to do that, glucose needs to penetrate the cells by passing through their covering called the cell membrane.

That's where insulin, a hormone produced by certain pancreatic cells, comes in. Insulin facilitates the transport of glucose into the cells to enable them to carry out their various processes and to produce energy. Insulin deficiency therefore, as in the case of type 1 diabetes, would lead to inadequate uptake of glucose by the cells, causing the glucose levels in the blood to rise (hyperglycemia).

However, in type 2 diabetes, the problem does not usually come from insulin deficiency. In this type of diabetes, the pancreas normally produces enough insulin, but the cells may be resistant to this hormone's effects. In other words, even in the presence of insulin, the cells may not take up glucose efficiently from the blood, leaving them energy-deficient and causing glucose to accumulate in the circulation.

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes

Unlike type I diabetes which usually starts during childhood, and is genetic and autoimmune in nature, type II diabetes has an adult onset.

The risk factors for this diabetic condition include the three F's: fat, forty and above, female. Obese and overweight people have great quantities of stored fats and carbohydrates which when broken down, will lead to glucose elevation in the blood. Middle aged people tend to have a slower metabolism so their insulin

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