Did you know that type 2 diabetes was previously referred to as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and type 1 diabetes as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM)? Undertake some research online to try to find out why these names are no longer used.

During this activity, you undertook online research into the reasons why the terms non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) are no longer used. You may have found that the main reason is that the use of these terms resulted in the classification of individuals based on their pharmacological treatment (i.e. with or without insulin) rather than the cause of their condition. This had the potential to cause confusion because individuals with different underlying reasons for their diabetic condition were being grouped together. Changing the classification to type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes ensures that the underlying mechanisms present in each type are recognised and can be managed accordingly.