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Diabetes Mellitus
Michelle R. Thayer
5/2/2010
Medical Terminology MA100
Dr. Bill Schulte
Information relating to causes, complications, management and prevention of Diabetes

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Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes Mellitus is more commonly known as diabetes and is a disease that there is no
cure for it at this time. According to the American Diabetes Association, there were 233,619
diabetes-related deaths as listed on death certificate reports for 2005. In 2006, it was the 7th
leading cause of deaths listed on death certificate reports in the United States. The organization
has also published results from the 2007 National Diabetes Fact sheet. This data indicates that in
2007, there were 23.6 million persons in the United States that have diabetes; (17.9 diagnosed;
5.7 undiagnosed). In addition, there were 57 million indicated as pre-diabetic. These statistics
may indicate the statistical seriousness of the disease, but they don’t inform a person of what the
disease is and its many complications.
Diabetes is a serious medical condition that can cause devastating and irreversible
damage to the human body. It is a metabolic disease that results in high blood sugar (glucose)
levels in the body. Everything we eat is converted to glucose, which in turn is used by cells for
energy. Instead of moving to the body’s cells, the sugars build up in the blood. The pancreas
produces a hormone called insulin, which controls glucose levels. However, if the pancreas
doesn’t create enough insulin or produces defective insulin, or if the body’s cells cannot use
insulin properly, a person will develop diabetes. The processes of producing insulin and
converting food to energy is just a small part of the metabolism process, but one begins to
understand the root of diabetes (“What is it?,” n.d., par. 2,3,4 ).
There are 3 main classifications for diabetes: type I, type II and gestational. A person
with type I is insulin dependent, most likely because their pancreas produces little to no insulin,
and will need to inject insulin for the rest of their lives. Persons with type II diabetes are non-
insulin dependent as their pancreas is still producing some insulin, just not enough to control the

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blood sugar levels. They can generally manage their diabetes with medication, exercise, or both.
Those with type II are still at risk of becoming type I diabetics. Gestational diabetes occurs in
pregnant women, most often due to hormonal changes. These women are at moderate risk of
developing type II later in life. All three types of diabetes will have an impact that will probably
last a lifetime (Mathur, “Diabetes Mellulitis”, n.d. p 2, para 1,5,10).
There are several genetic factors that may increase the risk of developing diabetes.
Individuals that have a family member with diabetes, such as a parent or sibling, tend to have a
predisposition to developing diabetes. With regard to genetics, the American Diabetes
Association indicates the following:
In general, if you are a man with type 1 diabetes, the odds of your child
getting diabetes are 1 in 17. If you are a woman with type 1 diabetes and
your child was born before you were 25, your child's risk is 1 in 25; if
your child was born after you turned 25, your child's risk is 1 in 100.
Your child's risk is doubled if you developed diabetes before age 11. If
both you and your partner have type 1 diabetes, the risk is between 1 in 10
and 1 in 4. If you have type 2 diabetes, the risk of your child getting
diabetes is 1 in 7 if you were diagnosed before age 50, and 1 in 13 if you
were diagnosed after age 50. Some scientists believe that a child's risk is
greater when the parent with type 2 diabetes is the mother. If both you and
your partner have type 2 diabetes, your child's risk is about 1 in 2
Age also appears to be a factor. There doesn’t appear to be an age set in stone, but ages
at risk seem to be between 45 and 60 years of age; perhaps due to decreased physical activity.
Lifestyle can also play a part, especially for those who are overweight or do not get enough
exercise. As previously mentioned, mothers who developed gestational diabetes during
pregnancy are also at increased risk of developing diabetes later in life, even if the gestational
diabetes was resolved postpartum.. Ethnicity is a factor as well, especially Native Americans,

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Hispanics and African Americans. A good rule to follow is if a person has 2 or more of these
risk factors, they should consult with their doctor for a checkup (“Are you at risk?,” n.d.).
Diabetes exhibits many symptoms. Some of them include (in no particular order):
unexplained weight loss or gain, fatigue, a wound that heals slowly, frequent urination, excessive
thirst or hunger, nausea, vomiting, recurring infections (skin, bladder, vaginal and yeast), blurry
vision. Unfortunately, by the time symptoms show up, this disease may already have damaged a
person’s kidneys, cardiovascular system or eyes (“Symptoms,” n.d.).
Diabetes may present numerous complications. Many of them seem to have a domino
effect in that one complication will probably lead to another, and that complication will lead to
yet another. Ruchi Mathur, MD cites several complications in his article “Diabetes Mellitus”
including, but not limited to, the following:
 Kidney damage, which can lead to acute or chronic kidney failure and eventually
dialysis
 Hypertension and atherosclerosis, which increases one’s risk of heart disease and
stroke. Heart disease and stroke risk is about 2-4 times higher in a diabetic than
those without diabetes
 Slow healing wounds, which can lead to gangrene and/or extremity amputation.
It is especially important for diabetics to check their feet daily
 Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), a patient may have general weakness or may
even experience a seizure
 Eye complications, including cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and
blindness. In adults between the ages of 20-74, diabetes is the leading cause of
blindness
 Claudication, or low blood supply to the lower extremities causing severe pain
 Neuropathy, which is limited blood flow to the nerves that can damage or cause
death of the nerves
 Ketoacidosis, which is severely elevated blood sugars and lack of insulin. Fat and
protein are released into the urine increasing urine glucose. This situation can
cause dehydration, shock, coma and even death.

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Only a medical doctor can diagnose diabetes. The testing consists of a fasting blood
glucose test performed early in the morning. The doctor will have the patient fast for 8 hours
or overnight. He will then draw a sample of blood for analysis in the lab, or he may use a
glucometer and test it right in his office. Normal fasting blood glucose levels are less than
100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl). If the reading is above 126 mg/dl, the physician may
order the test repeated on another day. If the reading is above 126 mg/dl on the second test,
the patient is considered to have diabetes. If a person’s glucose levels are between normal
(less than 100 mg/dl) and diabetic (126 mg/dl), they have what is called impaired glucose
tolerance. Even though this is not considered diabetes, the patient is considered a high risk
candidate for developing diabetes. Having an annual glucose test as part of a person’s annual
checkup could aide in early diagnosis of this disease. (Mathur, “Diabetes Mellitus,” n.d. p 3).
Diabetes affects millions of people a year, from children to the elderly. The
complications and costs of this disease are devastating as reflected in some additional
statistics from the 2007 National Diabetes Fact Sheet: pre-diabetes rate of 2 million in
adolescents age 12-19; 23.1% of persons over the age of 60 have diabetes; in 2005, dialysis
patients with end-stage kidney disease and those who received a kidney transplant totaled
178,689 in the U.S. and Puerto Rico; diabetic patients account for 60% of non-trauma lower
limb amputations; 10.2% of women and 11.2% of men over the age of 20 have diabetes; in
2007, the total cost of diabetes related health expenses in the United States was nearly $218
billion, broken down as:
o 6.3 million undiagnosed people, totaling $18 billion
o 57 million with pre-diabetes, totaling $25 billion
o 180,000 gestational diabetes patients, totaling $623 million
o Direct medical expenses totaled $116 billion
o Indirect costs totaled $58 billion

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Being diagnosed with diabetes is not a death sentence. It is, however, critical that a
diabetic check their blood sugars several times a day, every day, with a glucometer. Testing
consists of a finger poke with a lancet, and placing a small amount of blood on a test strip or
disk. Based on the mg/dl reading, insulin dependent diabetics will inject insulin into their
body. Maintaining good control of glucose levels is extremely important in protecting other
vital organs and systems required for basic human life.
In both type I or type II, simple lifestyle changes will help manage this disease. In some
instances of type II diabetics, lifestyle changes may even reverse diabetes. For the person
who does not have this disease, these changes may help prevent it. Increasing one’s activity
level is a great place to start. One of the best forms of exercising is walking and is a great
stress buster. Bring a friend along and plan to walk together on a regular basis. Develop
good eating habits like increasing fiber intake, eating fruits and vegetables daily; and cutting
out or at least reducing sweets. Drinking 8 glasses of water a day is recommended and is
especially helpful in cleansing the system and flushing the kidneys. Getting 7-8 hours of
sleep every day helps the body to repair itself, and you’ll probably have a lot more energy
after a great night’s rest. Regular physicals with the family doctor are also important to
prevention and early diagnosis. The sooner a person makes simple adjustments to lifestyle
and eating habits, the better their chances are of living a longer and healthier life
(“Prevention,” n.d.).
Diabetes is a disease with no cure and many complications that may prematurely shorten
a person’s life by disrupting balance. The human body requires balance to operate smoothly
and efficiently. Preventing diabetes may be a key to maintaining balance. Education and
awareness are the keys to prevention.

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Internet Sources:
2007 National Diabetes Fact Sheet Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/factsheet07.htm
Mathur, Ruchi MD “Diabetes Mellulitis Types”. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.medicinenet.com/diabetes_mellitus/page2.htm
Mathur, Ruchi MD “Diabetes Mellulitis Symptoms”. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/symptoms
Mathur, Ruchi MD “Diabetes Mellulitis Complications”. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.medicinenet.com/diabetes_mellitus/page5.htm,
http://www.medicinenet.com/diabetes_mellitus/page6.htm
Are you at risk? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://diabetes.webmd.com/guide/risk-diabetes
Diabetes: What is it? (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/diabetes/basics/350.html)
Prevention. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/prevention/checkup-
america/