diabetes mellitus

British  

/ məˈlaɪtəs /

noun

1. a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism characterized by excessive thirst and excretion of abnormally large quantities of urine containing an excess of sugar, caused by a deficiency of insulin See also IDDM NIDDM

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diabetes mellitus Scientific  

/ dī′ə-bē′tĭsmə-lī′təs,-tēz /

1. A metabolic disease characterized by abnormally high levels of glucose in the blood, caused by an inherited inability to produce insulin (Type 1) or an acquired resistance to insulin (Type 2). Type 1 diabetes, which typically appears in childhood or adolescence, is marked by excessive thirst, frequent urination, and weight loss and requires treatment with insulin injections. Type 2 diabetes appears during adulthood, usually in overweight or elderly individuals, and is treated with oral medication or insulin. People with either type of diabetes benefit from dietary restriction of sugars and other carbohydrates. Uncontrolled blood glucose levels increase the risk for long-term medical complications including peripheral nerve disease, retinal damage, kidney disease, and progressive atherosclerosis caused by damage to endothelial cells in blood vessels, leading to coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease.

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diabetes mellitus Cultural  

1. A chronic disease in which carbohydrates cannot be metabolized properly (see metabolism) because the pancreas fails to secrete an adequate amount of insulin. Without enough insulin, carbohydrate metabolism is upset, and levels of sugar in the blood rise.

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Etymology

Origin of diabetes mellitus

C18: New Latin, literally: honey-sweet diabetes

Example Sentences

Without this process, the body can convert histidine into a compound believed to promote insulin resistance, a hallmark of diabetes mellitus.

From Science Daily • Feb. 25, 2026

New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said on Wednesday that it determined Trachtenberg died of complications of diabetes mellitus, The Times has confirmed.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2025

Half of the people who experience chronic fatigue for several months or years have also had one or more of the following diagnoses: infections, anemia, thyroid dysfunction, diabetes mellitus or cancer.

From Scientific American • Nov. 10, 2023

The rate of prepregnancy diabetes mellitus — or PDM — recorded on birth certificates nationwide rose from 8.6 to 10.9 for every 1,000 births over that period, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

From Washington Times • May 31, 2023

It is employed for sweetening purposes in cases of diabetes mellitus, where physicians advise against the use of sugar.

From Human Foods and Their Nutritive Value by Snyder, Harry