Who is a diabetic?

The question 'who is a diabetic?' involves those individuals who present with classical symptoms of diabetes mellitus, those who have no symptoms but glucose intolerance with or without fasting hyperglycemia and those who are sought by investigators searching for diabetes associated with other diseases or disease 'markers' such as particular HLA antigens. Classical juvenile onset diabetics (JODs) have hyperglycemia and acid-base disturbance to a degree which necessitates insulin therapy. Maturity-onset diabetics (MODs) can often control their hyperglycemia by weight reduction. Oral hyperglycemic agents have only a minor role in their management. Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) can also be treated by dietary manipulation. When the oral glucose tolerance test is used to diagnose diabetes three zones should be recognized: normal, gray zone, and diabetic. Criteria for each are presented.