What Is Diabetes Mellitus?

• Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a metabolic disease that causes high blood sugar. 
• The hormone insulin moves sugar from the blood into our body cells to be stored or used for energy.
• With diabetes, the body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t effectively use the insulin it does make.
• Untreated high blood sugar from diabetes can damage your nerves, eyes, kidneys, and other organs.

Types of diabetes:

• Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. The immune system attacks and destroys cells in the pancreas, where insulin is made. It’s unclear what causes this attack. About 10 percent of people with diabetes have this type.
• Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin, and sugar builds up in the blood.
• Prediabetes occurs when the blood sugar is higher than normal, but it’s not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
• Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar during pregnancy. Insulin-blocking hormones produced by the placenta cause this type of diabetes.

Why in News?

• A recent study has identified a bunch of districts in India that have the maximum prevalence for diabetes among women.
• The burden is higher in the southern and eastern parts of the country and lowest in central India.

Rise of diabetes

• The number of people with diabetes in India increased from 26 million in 1990 to 65 million in 2016.
• The prevalence of diabetes in adults aged 20 years or older in India increased from 5.5% in 1990 to 7.7% in 2016.
• The prevalence in 2016 was highest in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, according to the Global Burden of Disease Study, 2018.

Reference:

https://www.healthline.com/health/diabetes#takeawayhttps://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/prevalence-of-diabetes-among-women-high-in-southern-india/article31768117.ece