Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases with characteristic hyperglycemia associated with defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. There are several different types of diabetes.
Type 2 (Non-Insulin dependent) diabetes may range from predominantly insulin resistance with relative insulin deficiency to a predominantly secretory defect with insulin resistance.
Type 2 diabetes affects more than 15 million adult Americans and the prevalence is increasing.

Persons with diabetes experience significant illness and even death from a variety of long term effects of elevated blood glucose levels. This is related to the damage of blood vessels in important organs such as the heart, eye, and kidney.

The aim of diabetes care is to maximize quality and length of life by:

	providing education and training to manage the disease and its treatment
	developing an understanding to facilitate coping with new challenges
	controlling the risk of damage to the eye, kidney, foot and arterial circulation
	early detection and management of any complications of diabetes

Treatment for anyone with diabetes must include reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially control of blood pressure, cessation of smoking, and correction of cholesterol and lipid abnormalities. Diet, exercise, and weight control are the cornerstone of management, especially of type 2 diabetes.

The Medifocus Guide on Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM) provides answers to the following important questions and medical issues:

	What are the most common symptoms of NIDDM?
	Are there any recognized risk factors for developing NIDDM?
	What kinds of medical tests are used to establish the diagnosis of NIDDM?
	What is the current standard of care for the treatment of NIDDM?
	What treatment options are available for the management of NIDDM?
	Are there any promising new developments or potential breakthroughs in treatment?
	Who are the most notable medical authorities who specialize in NIDDM?
	Where are the leading hospitals and centers of research for NIDDM?
	What are the most important questions to ask my doctor about NIDDM?

This MediFocus Guide contains an extensive listing of citations and abstracts of recent journal articles that have been published about this condition in trustworthy medical journals. This is the same type of information that is available to physicians and other health care professionals. A partial selection of journal articles that are abstracted in this MediFocus Guide includes:

	Early detection of undiagnosed diabetes mellitus: a US perspective. Diabetes/Metabolism Research Reviews. 2000
	Islet amyloid and type 2 diabetes mellitus. New England Journal of Medicine. 2000
	The glitazones: proceed with caution. Western Journal of Medicine. 2000
	Can dietary intervention produce long-term reduction in insulin resistance?. British Journal of Nutrition. 2000
	Dietary fibre, lente carbohydrates and the insulin-resistant diseases. British Journal of Nutrition. 2000
	Low glycaemic-index foods. British Journal of Nutrition. 2000
	Arterial stiffness, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Journal of Human Hypertension. 2000
	Consequences of the diabetic status on the oxidant/antioxidant balance. Diabetes & Metabolism. 2000
	Poor glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes: a conspiracy of disease, suboptimal therapy and attitude. QJM. 2000
	Potential new treatments for type 2 diabetes. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences. 2000