Complications and Diagnosis of Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic syndrome with several different etiologies that results from the lack of insulin or its inefficiency to perform its effects. Given the difficulties and complications of diabetes, one sees the need for and importance of debating and clarifying all the fundamental points in combating the obstacles faced from the diagnosis to its complications. The present study aims to discuss these points. Regarding the databases that reach the objective of the study, the following were used: PUBMED (US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health), LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences) and SCIELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online). Furthermore, the articles analyzed for the study correspond to the years 2014 to 2022, in Portuguese. The classification proposed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA), and recommended by the Brazilian Society of Diabetes (SBD), includes four clinical classes in the DM syndrome: type 1 DM (DM1), DM type 2 (DM2), gestational DM (GDM) and other specific types of DM. There are also other conditions mentioned, such as pre-diabetes in which fasting blood glucose is altered at levels greater than 100 mg/dl and less than 126 mg/dl and when glucose tolerance is reduced, indicating an increased risk of diabetes. Thus, it could be seen that the forms of diagnosis, using fasting blood glucose, the Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT), casual blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), are the main mechanisms used by the population to initiate conducts necessary to control the syndrome. It was found that fasting blood glucose is the most used diagnostic tool due to its easy access and low cost.