PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF TYPE 2 DIABETES: THE LONG JOURNEY INTO PRESENT

Abstract

Evolution and progress are the law of all things. All sciences, including medicine, have met an unprecedented development in the last years, and progress is obvious in all fields of medicine, including the pathophysiology of diseases. For instance, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) was considered during the 90's to be determined by two essential pathophysiological processes, insulin resistance and β-cell deficiency. Knowledge at that moment was summarized in 1988 by Ralph De Fronzo within a now classical paper in Diabetes, where he spoke about a triumvirate that included the β-cell, the muscle and the liver, leading to the appearance and progression of T2D.