Definition; diabetes is a group of diseases that share the common symptom of hyperglycemia which is abnormally elevated glucose levels in the blood.

There are different types/classes of diabetes:

1]Type 1 diabetes mellitus

This is also known as insulin dependent diabetes-IDDM

It accounts for less than 20% of all diabetes cases worldwide .It is a disease that starts usually in childhood with typical age of onset below 18yrs.

It is due to total lack of insulin production, hence the victim requires insulin for control of blood sugar, it can not be controlled by use of oral anti diabetics .It is highly prone to the development of acute complication of ketosis[this is an acute complication of diabetes that results in rapid deterioration of consciousness and ultimately death if not treated promptly.

2]Type 2 diabetes mellitus

This is also known as non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus{NIDDM}

It accounts for 80% of all diabetic cases worldwide

It usually starts after the age of 18 years, and the prevalence increases with age and obesity. Its symptoms appear slowly as it is due to a reduced secretion of insulin or increased resistance of the body cells to insulin

It is not prone to the development of ketosis.

3]Gestational diabetes

Gestational diabetes is described as any form of glucose intolerance first diagnosed in pregnancy. Approximately 1-2% of women will develop gestational diabetes in pregnancy.

4]Impaired glucose tolerance

This people are also known as pre diabetes. Their blood levels are higher than normal but not as high as diabetic range.

Fasting blood sugar higher than 6.1mmol/l and less than 6.9mmol/l

5]Secondary diabetes

This is when diabetes is due to an identifiable cause such as;

a}drugs-certain drugs can cause increased blood glucose eg thiazides diuretics,corticosteroids

b}pancreatic diseases like pancreatitis, cancer of the pancreas, damage to the pancreas

c}other endocrine diseases like acromegaly, cushings disease etc

d}Infective agents like cytomegalovirus,rubella

The first 3 types are the main types of diabetes mellitus, the last 2 are other not too common types.There are still some other types that are worth mentioning.

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• Can You Reverse Diabetes Type 2 With Proper Meal Planning?
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• How to Lower Blood Sugar Levels - Simple Tips
• What Does Vitamin B12 Do to Help With Type 2 Diabetes?
• Health and Nutrition

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