Clinical Trials, U.S.: Diabetes

About 8.3 percent of the global population—a total of 366 million people in the world—have diabetes mellitus. In the United States, about 7.8 [Page 240]percent suffer from diabetes, a group of chronic metabolic disorders in which a person has high blood sugar and which affect the body’s metabolism. Type 2 diabetes is recognized by clinicians as the most common form of diabetes, affecting roughly 90–95 percent of those diagnosed with the disease. Type 2 diabetes is often linked to obesity, older age, genetics, physical inactivity, and certain ethnic groups. The body’s inability to process insulin coupled with insulin resistance allow the diagnosis of this condition.

In contrast to type 1 diabetes, previously referred to as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) or juvenile diabetes, the symptoms of type ...