Is diabetes mellitus a continuous spectrum?

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus has been historically divided into type 1 and type 2 diabetes, with type 1 being an autoimmune disease and type 2 being primarily a metabolic disease. CONTENT The current diabetes classification scheme needs to be reevaluated because of the accumulating evidence of immune system involvement in the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes. SUMMARY: There are similarities and differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes with regard to pathogenesis, pathophysiology, and genetics. We propose a resolution to the dilemma of the current classification scheme.