Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a heterogeneous group of metabolic disorders grouped together due to their common feature of hyperglycemia. The fact that diabetes mellitus is more than one disease has important implications. The age and setting of onset, the mechanism responsible for elevated blood glucose, and the expected complications of one type of diabetes mellitus may be different from those in another type. Therefore, the approaches to treatment for different types of diabetes differ. Thus, accurately classifying a particular patient's diabetes facilitates choice of the most effective glucose-lowering treatment and interventions to prevent complications. Type 2 diabetes has been shown to be preventable by several interventions, including lifestyle changes focused on weight loss; certain medicines that improve insulin sensitivity, decrease hepatic glucose production, or decrease macronutrient absorption in the gut; and weight loss surgery. Much research is still needed to identify methods to prevent type 1 and gestational diabetes. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.