Type II diabetes mellitus
From one-size-fits-all to individualized diagnostics
Today, metabolic disorders and the consequences they have on the human organism are by far the biggest health care challenge western societies are facing. Because current diagnostic criteria, such as blood glucose, are merely sets of symptom descriptions, there is an urgent need for biomarkers enabling the early recognition of insulin resistance (generally considered the underlying pathomechanism of diabetes mellitus), the selection of suitable therapies, and the monitoring of treatment efficacy.
Metabolomics is capable of capturing the activity of all metabolically active organ systems involved in the genesis of metabolic disorders, such as liver, skeletal muscle, and adipose tissue, and can quantitatively describe any dysregulation in the pathways of energy, carbohydrate, and lipid metabolism. Early diagnosis would enable targeted interventions, such as changes in life style, nutritional behavior, exercise, and antihyperlipidemic therapy, to be initiated before the disease has become manifest.
