Perioperative management of the diabetic patient

Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by the body's inability to process blood glucose properly. It is generally classified as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), or type 1, and non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), or type 2. Type 1 is characterized by a defect in insulin secretion by the beta cells of the pancreas, usually secondary to autoimmune destruction of those cells. Type 2 is characterized by peripheral insulin resistance with an insulin-secretory defect that varies in severity. Diabetes is a common medical condition that affects 6% of Americans younger than 50 years and approximately 10% to 15% of those older than 50 years. Increasing numbers of patients who have diabetes are presenting to the oral surgeon's office for care. Patients who have diabetes have a 50% chance of undergoing a surgical procedure in their lifetime.