Outline of diabetes

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to diabetes:

Diabetes – group of metabolic diseases in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin that is produced, a condition called insulin resistance. The resultant high blood sugar produces the classical symptoms of polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (increased thirst) and polyphagia (increased hunger).

Nature of diabetes

 * Main article: Diabetes

Diabetes can be described as a:


 * A class of diseases
 * A class of systemic diseases

Types of diabetes

 * Prediabetes –
 * Main types of diabetes:
 * Diabetes mellitus type 1 – disease that results in autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas.
 * Diabetes mellitus type 2 – metabolic disorder that is characterized by high blood glucose in the context of insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency.
 * Disease of affluence – type 2 diabetes is one of the "diseases of affluence", which include mostly chronic non-communicable diseases for which personal lifestyles and societal conditions associated with economic development are believed to be important risk factors.
 * Gestational diabetes –
 * Other types of diabetes:
 * Congenital diabetes –
 * Cystic fibrosis-related diabetes –
 * Steroid diabetes –
 * Monogenic diabetes –

Signs and symptoms of diabetes

 * Symptoms of prediabetes – prediabetes typically has no distinct signs or symptoms. Patients should monitor for signs and symptoms of type 2 diabetes mellitus (see below).

Signs and symptoms of Type II diabetes mellitus
Symptoms of type II diabetes mellitus include:


 * Constant hunger
 * Unexplained weight loss
 * Weight gain
 * Flu-like symptoms, including weakness and fatigue
 * Blurred vision
 * Slow healing of cuts or bruises
 * Tingling or loss of feeling in hands or feet
 * Recurring gum or skin infections
 * Recurring vaginal or bladder infections

Related conditions

 * Impaired glucose tolerance –

Preventing diabetes mellitus type 2
Preventing diabetes mellitus type 2 – entails a lifestyle with a routine, regime, or self care program that includes the following:
 * Maintaining a healthy weight –
 * Proper nutrition –
 * Regular physical exercise – in addition to helping to maintain a healthy weight, sufficient vigorous physical exercise increases cells' sensitivity to insulin, and can thus prevent and possibly revert insulin resistance.
 * Medication – specific medications have been shown to be able to prevent type 2 diabetes. However, the disease can often be delayed through proper nutrition and regular exercise.

Treating diabetes

 * Insulin therapy
 * Insulin

Low-carbohydrate diet

 * Carbohydrate
 * Monosaccharide (simple carbohydrate) –
 * Insulin index
 * Glycemic index
 * Glycemic load
 * Medical research related to low-carbohydrate diets

Low-carbohydrate dietary programs

 * Atkins diet
 * Atkins Nutritionals
 * Robert Atkins (nutritionist)
 * William Banting
 * Richard K. Bernstein
 * Diabetic diet (low-carb)
 * CarbSmart ice cream products
 * Ketogenic diet
 * Low-glycemic index diet
 * Meatatarian - all meat diet, generally not recommended by nutritionists.
 * Montignac diet
 * No-carbohydrate diet
 * Pritikin diet
 * Shirataki noodles
 * South Beach Living
 * Stillman diet
 * Sugar Busters!
 * Gary Taubes
 * Zone diet

History of diabetes

 * Main article: History of diabetes

Persons influential in relation to diabetes

 * Paul Langerhans
 * Joseph von Mering
 * Oskar Minkowski
 * Edward Albert Sharpey-Schafer
 * Frederick Banting
 * Charles Herbert Best
 * James Collip
 * Harold Percival Himsworth