Hertzel C. Gerstein

Diabetes Care. 2007;30:432-434.

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/content/extract/30/2/432.

Type 2 diabetes is a common metabolic disease that is defined on the basis of glucose levels above specific thresholds. Individuals with type 2 diabetes are at high risk of blindness, renal failure, amputation, cardiovascular disease, premature death, dementia, and a variety of other chronic diseases and life-threatening events. However, unlike other risk factors for future events (eg, hyperlipidemia or hypertension), type 2 diabetes is often associated with symptoms and discomfort related to elevated glucose levels that range from fatigue, nocturia, polyuria, and nonspecific aches and pains to dehydration and coma. Moreover, once diabetes is diagnosed, affected individuals incur additional cost and inconvenience related to disease labeling, dietary and lifestyle modification, glucose monitoring, eye assessments, and higher health and life insurance premiums.