Diabetes mellitus and hepatobiliary disease.

Diabetes mellitus is a common metabolic disorder cha racterized by hyperglycemia in the post-prandial and/or the fasting state which, in its most florid form, is accompanied by ketosis and protein wasting. As such, diabetes mellitus is a syndrome rather than a specific disease entity. Moreover, it is a syndrome which is heterogeneous with respect to its etiology and/or its pathogenesis. cations, if any, is difficult to establish. As might be expect ed, secondary diabetes mellitus like primary diabetes melli tus, is a metabolic syndrome occurring in individuals who have a variety of different predisposing factors or condi tions which lead to hyperglycemia (Table 1) rather than a specific disease entity.