Diabetes mellitus: current concepts in diagnosis, classification and coding

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disorder of metabolism, which is commonly found in the Puerto Rican population. In this article the current concepts in diagnosis, classification and correct coding of DM are discussed. Since the cutoff point for diagnosing DM was lowered to 126 mg/dl in a fasting plasma glucose levels, many persons may be undiagnosed unless physicians are aware of this fact. Once diagnosed, strict control of the disease is mandatory to prevent the chronic diabetic complications. It is very important to classify and code the persons with DM accurately. This practice will help researchers, physicians, health insurance managers and other persons to assess the prevalence of DM and its complications. This will eventually lead to better management of this important disease.