Diabetes is a disease in which too much sugar (called glucose) accumulates in  the bloodstream rather than being transferred into the cells throughout the body. The full name for diabetes is diabetes mellitus (mellitus means “honey sweet”) term diabetes is often used synonymously with diabetes mellitus, but by itself it really refers to only one of the main symptoms of the disease—frequent urination. It is derived from the Greek word for “siphon.”

Diabetes is not caused by eating too much sugar. The body normally converts some of the food eaten into a type of sugar (glucose) that provides an energy source for the cells. Glucose is distributed throughout the body by the bloodstream. A hormone called insulin allows the glucose to enter the cells. In diabetes, either the pancreas stops making insulin or the body does not respond-properly to the insulin that is produced. In type I, or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), decreased insulin production is the main problem. In type II, or non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), the main difficulty is a reduction in the body’s response to insulin. Both types of diabetes are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

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