Diabetes, Type 1

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of metabolic diseases characterized by chronic hyperglycemia, due to defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both, associated with the development of long-term vascular and neuropathic complications. An expert committee convened by the American Diabetes Association on the diagnosis and classification of diabetes mellitus classified diabetes into four etiologic types: type 1 diabetes, which is either autoimmune mediated (type 1a) or idiopathic (type 1b) destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas and is characterized by absolute insulin deficiency; type 2 diabetes, which is characterized by a combination of insulin resistance and inadequate compensatory insulin secretory response; other specific types of diabetes, including genetic defects in beta cell function and insulin action, diseases of the exocrine pancreas, endocrinopathies, and drug- or chemically induced insulin deficiency; and gestational diabetes mellitus.