[Prevention of diabetes mellitus with reference to its epidemiologic and etiopathogenic aspects]

With a prevalence rate of 36.4% the morbidity of diabetes occupies the 11th rank of the chronic non-communicable diseases in the population of the GDR. The 5.8-fold increase of the total prevalence which is to be observed in a period of 24 years is in 89% to be traced back to the increase of the non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Since unknown etiopathogenetic: events of IDDM exclude a secondary prevention in the sense of prevention of manifestation, it can already at present be used for the NIDDM with relevance to practice. First of all the preventive measures should concentrate on the prevention and removal, respectively of the peripheral insulin resistance by elimination of defined risk factors, which an inductor function in the course of the pathogenetic process to the NIDDM is to be ascribed to. The close hormonal and metabolic meshing of the pathogenesis of NIDDM with arteriosclerotic vascular diseases proves the demand for integrative combat programmes which are to be used on population scale.