What is Diabetes Mellitus (DM)?

Diabetes mellitus (DM) or diabetes is a condition where the body is unable to control blood glucose levels (the body can not release or use insulin properly). For people with diabetes, their body can not produce or respond to insulin that produced by the pancreas. As a result, blood glucose levels continued to increase (hyperglycemia) and chronic.

Diabetes mellitus can be grouped into two general types, the first is dependent on insulin (type 1 diabetes) and the second is not insulin dependent (type 2 DM). The majority of type 2 DM are found in people who are obese or overweight due to lifestyle. Meanwhile, the DM type-1 are influenced heredity, although hereditary factors contribute to the risk of diabetes by only 5%. In addition, there are known DM with gestational diabetes that occurs during pregnancy.

Diabetes mellitus occurs due to deficiency of the hormone insulin or the insulin is not working perfectly, the hormone that carries glucose (sugar) in the blood to cells for energy generation

To be aware of Diabetes Mellitus we must know the factors that cause this disease. The following are some of the causes of diabetes mellitus:

• Foods high in fat and high in calories
• Inactive lifestyle (sedentary)
• High blood pressure (> 140/90 mm ​​Hg)
• Obesity or being overweight (body weight 120% of ideal body weight)
• Old age, in which the risk begins to rise significantly at age 45 years
• Nuclear family history of type 2 diabetes (parent or brother or sister)
• History of impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) or Impaired Fasting Blood Glucose (GDPT)
• A history of suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome, in which insulin resistance occurs also
• A history of gestational diabetes or a history of having a baby with a birth weight of more than 4,500 grams
• Dyslipidemia: triglycerides (fats) in the blood is high (> 150mg/dl) or HDL cholesterol 40mg