diabetes mellitus

(dye-a-BEE-teez MEL-ih-tus) A group of disorders in which there is a defect in the transfer of glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream into cells, leading to abnormally high levels of blood sugar (hyperglycemia).

There are five general types of diabetes mellitus that are recognized, but only Type I and Type II diabetes and gestational diabetes mellitus diseases are the most important involving the endocrine pancreas. Diabetes is a disease in caused by an absolute or relative deficiency of insulin which the body cannot produce insulin or cannot use the insulin it makes properly. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder of fat metabolism which changes the way our bodies break down and use starches and glucose and is a disease of the pancreas characterized by excessive thirst, hunger, urination, weakness, acidosis, and without injection of insulin, eventual coma and death.

Two types of a highly variable disorder in which abnormalities in the ability to make and/or use the hormone insulin interfere with the process of turning dietary carbohydrates into glucose, the body's fuel. Type I is known as insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, and type II is known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. See also dominant, gene, inherited, mapping, sex-linked, recessive