The Clinical Characteristics of Early Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

CURRENT descriptions of diabetes mellitus vary markedly — as much as 300 per cent — regarding the symptoms of the disease.1 , 2 Likewise, there is little exact information about its early course. The present survey of the population of a large diabetic clinic† was undertaken to clarify these points.MethodsThe records of 500 consecutive patients were examined, and 182 with adequate descriptions of the onset‡ of the disease were accepted for study. They had all been followed on the wards or in other clinics and had been referred to the diabetic clinic because of diabetic symptoms or glycosuria. In most . . .