diabetes mellitus

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Learn about the types of diabetes and the advancement in treating the disease

Learn about type I and type II diabetes mellitus, the genetic and environmental risk factors and ways to manage it

Learn about the discovery of the leptin protein in mice and its benefit for diabetes and obesity treatment in humans

Cataract formation can occur as a complication of diabetes (shown here in a person affected by type I diabetes).

How can a failure in the endocrine system affect the digestive, circulatory, and excretory systems?

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diabetes mellitus

medical disorder

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Apr 6, 2024 • Article History

diabetes

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Category: Science & Tech

Key People:: Sir Frederick Grant Banting; Eugene Lindsay Opie; Charles H. Best; Oskar Minkowski; Joseph, Freiherr von Mering

Related Topics:: endocrine system; diabetic ketoacidosis; gestational diabetes mellitus; insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

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diabetes mellitus, disorder of carbohydrate metabolism characterized by impaired ability of the body to produce or respond to insulin and thereby maintain proper levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. Diabetes is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, though these outcomes are not due to the immediate effects of the disorder. They are instead related to the diseases that develop as a result of chronic diabetes mellitus. These include diseases of large blood vessels (macrovascular disease, including coronary heart disease and peripheral arterial disease) and small blood vessels (microvascular disease, including retinal and renal vascular disease), as well as ...(100 of 3513 words)

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