What is diabetes?

Diabetes affects far more people than is publicly known. Experts anticipate an even steeper rise over the years to come.

Diabetes represents different states of the blood glucose metabolism. Diabetes mellitus type 1 and diabetes mellitus type 2 are distinguished.

In case of diabetes mellitus type 1, the body’s defensive system destroys the insulin-producing cells (beta cells) in the pancreas. Without the hormone insulin the "fuels" contained in the food (e.g. glucose) cannot be channeled any more into the body cells to supply them with energy. The results are severe metabolism changes (e.g. high blood glucose, also protein and fat metabolism disturbances), which damage the vessels. The affected persons must inject insulin all their lives.

Diabetes mellitus type 2 is the more frequent form of the condition - approx. 10 times as frequent as diabetes mellitus type 1. In this case the effect of insulin diminishes in the cells of the body. The pancreas boosts the insulin production higher and higher to compensate. This overstrains the beta cells responsible - the insulin production breaks down.

<<< back