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Diabetes
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What is diabetes mellitus?
Diabetes mellitus is a condition where sufferers cannot properly regulate the way their body uses glucose. There are 180 million people worldwide who suffer from diabetes; 2.5 million are in the United Kingdom.
The disorder is more commonly known as diabetes and this will be used throughout the resource.
Contents
Diabetes: An introduction
The ancient Egyptians first recognised the disorder now known as diabetes mellitus. The name relates to 'sweet tasting urine' because one of the signs of the disease is that sugar (glucose) can be found in the urine. Physicians in the past would have tasted the urine of patients to detect diabetes mellitus.
Diabetes is on the increase within developed nations, Obesity in particular is linked with an increased risk in diabetes
Courtesy of: Anthea Sieveking / Wellcome Images
It was not until 1922 that insulin was discovered and successfully used to treat diabetes. Until then, diabetics would die prematurely due to problems caused by their diabetes, such as severe weight loss and cardiovascular disorders.
Today, diabetes is not such a killer. It can be controlled with a strict diet, medicines or a combination of both. However, if not managed correctly, diabetes can cause problems with the heart and circulation, kidney damage and blindness. Worldwide, 4 million people continue to die each year due to disorders associated with diabetes.
How to use this site
There are a number of interactive features in this e-source:
- A glossary of terms: any word with a glossary entry is highlighted like this.
- Quick questions: at the end of most pages or sections there is a question or set of quick questions to test your understanding.
- Animations: most of the animations can be expanded to full screen size, ideal for showing on an interactive whiteboard. The animations will play all the way through or can be viewed one section at a time.
- Downloads: Teachers can download individual diagrams, animations and other content from the Resource Library area of the website. Terms and Conditions apply.
