Diabetes: Types, Diagnosis, and Management

Definition and core mechanism of diabetes

Diabetes mellitus (commonly called diabetes) is a group of endocrine diseases defined by sustained high blood sugar levels. This occurs when the body either does not produce enough insulin or does not respond properly to insulin, leading to glucose remaining in the bloodstream instead of being taken up by cells. The core mechanism centers on insulin dysfunction. In type 1 diabetes, autoimmune destruction of pancreatic beta cells causes severe insulin deficiency, so the body cannot produce sufficient insulin. In type 2 diabetes, the main problem is insulin resistance (reduced effectiveness of insulin at its receptor), often combined with relatively reduced insulin secretion, which prevents normal glucose uptake and regulation. If diabetes is not controlled, chronic hyperglycemia damages blood vessels and contributes to long-term complications affecting the cardiovascular system and smaller blood vessels (microvascular damage), including the eyes, kidneys, and nerves.

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Classic symptoms: the three Ps

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