ABSTRACT
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is actually a group of metabolic disorders characterized by hyperglycemia which can result from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Chronic hyperglycemia is associated with the development of damage to various organs in the body – the eyes, kidneys, nervous system, and cardiovascular system.
DM and its complications constitute a significant public health problem worldwide, and are an important cause of morbidity and mortality. In fact, DM has reached epidemic proportions throughout the world, and the prevalence numbers are expected to continue to rise. Worldwide there were 194 million adults with DM in 2003, and this number is expected to reach 333 million by the year 2025, with many cases developing in poorer, developing countries.1 A rise in obesity rates over the past decade is to blame for much of the increase in type 2 DM. Today, nearly two-thirds of US adults are overweight or obese.2 It has been projected that one in three US citizens born in 2000 will develop DM.3
