Definition

Noun: - A mild, non-insulin-dependent form of diabetes mellitus that typically develops gradually in adulthood. It is often associated with factors such as obesity, severe stress, or menopause and can usually be managed through dietary control and oral hypoglycemic medications, without requiring insulin injections.

Usage

This term is used in medical contexts to describe a specific, common type of diabetes. - After his diagnosis, the doctor explained that his maturity-onset diabetes could be managed with diet and medication. - Obesity is a significant risk factor for developing maturity-onset diabetes.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in contrast to juvenile-onset (Type 1) diabetes, emphasizing its typical occurrence in older age groups.
• In contemporary medical terminology, "maturity-onset diabetes" is largely synonymous with Type 2 diabetes or non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).

Variants and Related Words

• Type 2 diabetes: The modern, more commonly used term for this condition.
• Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM): A formal clinical synonym.
• Adult-onset diabetes: A variant term with the same meaning, though its use is declining as Type 2 diabetes is increasingly diagnosed in younger adults and adolescents.

Synonyms

• Type 2 diabetes
• Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM)
• Adult-onset diabetes (less common in current usage)

Related Phrases and Contexts

• Diet-controlled diabetes: Often describes a case of maturity-onset diabetes managed primarily through nutritional changes.
• Oral hypoglycemic agents: Refers to the class of pills commonly prescribed to manage this form of diabetes.

Noun

1. mild form of diabetes mellitus that develops gradually in adults; can be precipitated by obesity or severe stress or menopause or other factors; can usually be controlled by diet and hypoglycemic agents without injections of insulin