Pathophysiology of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2: Roles of Obesity, Insulin Resistance and -Cell Dysfunction

The past two decades have seen an explosive increase in the number of people diagnosed with diabetes mellitus worldwide, particularly type 2 diabetes (T2D), which is found associated with modern lifestyle, abundant nutrient supply, reduced physical activity, and obesity. Actually, between 60 and 90% of cases of T2D now appear to be related to obesity. Numerous studies have shown that insulin resistance precedes the development of hyperglycemia in subjects that eventually develop T2D. However, it is increasingly being realized that T2D only develops in insulin-resistant subjects with the onset of -cell dysfunction. It is therefore important to characterize the mechanisms of insulin resistance and subsequent pancreatic -cell failure associated with obesity in order to better understand the pathophysiology of T2D and develop approaches to prevent T2D. Copyright © 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel