What is diabetes?

Diabetes mellitus, or diabetes, is a chronic condition which develops when the body cannot make good use of the insulin it produces or when the pancreas is no longer able to produce insulin. This results in increased blood glucose levels. Overtime, high blood glucose causes damage to blood vessels and nerves, leading to complications like heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness, dental disease and amputations. In addition, people with diabetes also have a higher risk of developing infections.