Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

(NIDDM.) Type II diabetes; adult or maturity onset diabetes; an often mild form of diabetes mellitus of gradual onset, usually in obese individuals over age 35. A milder form of diabetes, circulating endogenous (contained within the body) insulin is sufficient to prevent diabetic ketoacidosis but is often either subnormal or relatively inadequate because of tissue insensitivity and responds well to dietary regulation and/or oral hypoglycemic agent, but diabetic complications and degenerative changes can develop.