The epidemiology of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes mellitus is a uniquely interesting disorder to study from an epidemiologic perspective. Information that can be gathered from carefully designed and executed epidemiologic studies carried out on a population-based group of individuals with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) provides insight into this disorder that cannot be obtained by traditional methods of basic or clinical research. The application of epidemiology as an investigative tool can be illustrated in 3 important areas of diabetes mellitus: (1) the etiology of IDDM, (2) the natural history or clinical course of IDDM, and (3) long-term complications of IDDM.