General Principles

General Principles is a topic covered in the Washington Manual of Medical Therapeutics.

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  • Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. In 2018, diabetes was present in 13.0% of persons age ≥18 years in the United States and 26.8% of those age 65 and older. A substantial percentage of affected persons are not diagnosed. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represents 90%–95% of all cases of diabetes, with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and other causes representing the remaining 5%–10%.1,2
  • Patients with diabetes are at risk for microvascular complications, including retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy, and are at increased risk for macrovascular disease.
  • T2DM is accompanied by hypertension (approximately 75%) and hyperlipidemia (>50%) in adult patients and is considered a “cardiac risk equivalent” because of the excess risk for macrovascular disease, cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, and mortality.3

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  • Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. In 2018, diabetes was present in 13.0% of persons age ≥18 years in the United States and 26.8% of those age 65 and older. A substantial percentage of affected persons are not diagnosed. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) represents 90%–95% of all cases of diabetes, with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and other causes representing the remaining 5%–10%.1,2
  • Patients with diabetes are at risk for microvascular complications, including retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy, and are at increased risk for macrovascular disease.
  • T2DM is accompanied by hypertension (approximately 75%) and hyperlipidemia (>50%) in adult patients and is considered a “cardiac risk equivalent” because of the excess risk for macrovascular disease, cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, and mortality.3

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