Diagnostic criteria and classification of diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a group of diverse metabolic disorders characterized by hyperglycemia and distinctive complications that include premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and small vessel disease manifested as retinopathy with potential loss of vision; nephropathy leading to renal failure; and peripheral neuropathy with a high risk of foot ulcers and amputations. In the past, the classification of diabetes mellitus was based on clinical findings such as age of onset, so-called juvenile- or adult-onset diabetes, or treatment modalities, such as insulin-dependent versus non-insulin-dependent diabetes. In 1979 the National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG) in conjunction with World Health Organization (WHO) revised and published new and unified criteria for the classification and diagnosis of diabetes mellitus.