Non-Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus — A Genetically Programmed Failure of the Beta Cell to Compensate for Insulin Resistance

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), the commonest form of diabetes, affects approximately 5 percent of the population of the United States. Although the pathophysiology of this condition has not been fully characterized and the nature of the primary defect is controversial, the results of recent studies provide insights into its basic causes. Here, we review these studies and suggest how insulin resistance and genetically programmed pancreatic beta-cell dysfunction may interact in susceptible persons to cause diabetes.Insulin ResistanceInsulin resistance is a diminished ability of insulin to exert its biologic action across a broad range of concentrations. Unless persons with insulin . . .