[Type 2 diabetes--etiopathogenetic aspects].

Prevalence of diabetes and increasing incidence mainly concern the type II diabetes, the etiopathogenesis of which is finally still unclarified. While the behaviour of the insulin secretion of type II diabetes is clarified as far as possible, research of the last years concentrates to disturbances of the insulin binding at the receptor, of the insulin efficiency after receptor binding as well as to the complicated interrelations between insulin secretion and peripheral effectiveness. On the one hand, metabolic sequels of malnutrition and obesity as well as decreasing muscle activity and muscle mass, on the other hand the genetic disposition plays an important role. Recently, insights into disturbed intracellular biochemical courses could be obtained and newer approaches for therapy could be found out. Significant could be the separation into perhaps still reversible findings in the manifestation of the irreversible late findings at the level of postreceptors after longer course of diabetes at least for the type IIb (adipose type). The diversity of etiopathogenetic factors demands substandardizations which would give only beginnings for prevention and optimized differential therapy. It cannot be denied that type II diabetes and arteriosclerosis partly have common genetic and exogenic causes.