Reference no: EM134013266
Question
Define diabetes mellitus (DM) and discuss the classifications (type 1 and type 2), complications, and pathophysiology of DM.
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder where an individual has a partial or complete insulin deficiency. There exist two types of DM: type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes (Keenan-Lindsay et al., 2022). Type 1 diabetes is not entirely understood. However, it is believed to be caused by an environmental trigger that initiates an autoimmune response. This autoimmune response attacks and destroys pancreatic beta cells responsible for producing insulin (Shah & Nadeau, 2020). Meanwhile, type 2 diabetes is caused by a combination of insulin resistance and beta cell failure. Environmental factors, lifestyle choices, and genetic predisposition can contribute to the manifestation of type 2 diabetes (Shah & Nadeau, 2020). Type 1 is usually diagnosed at a young age while type 2 is often diagnosed later in life, but it can also be present in children (Keenan-Lindsay et al, 2020). Individuals with diabetes have a higher prevalence of comorbidities and complications, such as heart failure, hypertension, stroke, depression, and coronary artery disease (Schmidt et al., 2021). Uncontrolled blood sugar can cause microvascular damage (nephropathy, retinopathy, and neuropathy), macrovascular damage (atherosclerosis), diabetic ketoacidosis, and thyroid dysfunction.