ABSTRACT
Diabetes is a group of metabolic diseases characterised by hyperglycaemia secondary to one or more pathologies. While type 1 and type 2 diabetes are the most common types of diabetes, there are many other types – some rare and some not so rare. This chapter reviews the pathophysiology of each type of diabetes, but emphasises the need to recognise that people with the same type of diabetes do not necessarily share the same pathologies, while people with different types of diabetes can share the same pathologies. Furthermore, diabetes, regardless of type, is a progressive disease and the pathologies contributing to its expression can change over time. The take-home message is that each person with diabetes has a unique set of underlying pathologies contributing to their disease. This sets the stage for the need to individualise diabetes management.
