Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition resulting from deficiencies in the production or use of insulin, a hormone which enables the body to absorb glucose and other nutrients. If untreated, people with this form of diabetes suffer from raised blood glucose levels while their tissues lack nourishment.
Diabetes can cause diseases of the eyes, kidneys, nerves and circulatory system.
These in turn can result in a reduced quality of life or premature death. There are other less common forms of diabetes, such as diabetes insipidus, which have quite different causes. People who reported having these types of diabetes are not included in the estimates presented here. I produce little or no insulin and require life-long medication with insulin. Type II People with Type II may produce some insulin but not enough to maintain normal blood sugar levels.