Are there different types of diabetes mellitus?
There are two types of diabetes mellitus, which have changed their names over the years. Although the two types have certain things in common, they are very different in many ways as can be seen from the features described below. Type 1 diabetes: This used to be called ‘insulin-dependent diabetes’. This type results from an almost complete lack of insulin and therefore treatment comes in the form of insulin injections. It is the least common of the two types, occurring in only about 10 to 15 per cent of all diabetics. It tends to start early in life (which is why it also used to be referred to as juvenile onset diabetes). The reason for the change of name is that older people can develop type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetics often require treatment with insulin, so the old names are no longer seen as appropriate. Type 2 diabetes: This used to be called ‘non insulin-dependent diabetes’. This form is the more common type of diabetes, making up about 85 to 90 per cent of all cases and it i
