Dec 5, 2008
Diabetes mellitus describes a group of diseases in which there is an elevated level of the sugar glucose, the body's main source of energy for cellular functions, in the blood. The level of glucose, as well as other "fuel" molecules, is increased due to a disorder in the production or function of the hormone insulin. A range of health problems occurs primarily due to the damaging effects of elevated levels of glucose on blood vessels.
To understand diabetes, it is important to understand how the hormone insulin functions in the breakdown and utilization of glucose. Insulin acts in two ways. It is necessary for the transport of glucose and other fuel molecules into the cells. It also regulates several pathways in metabolism that are important in the utilization of these...
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