Diabetic filling syringe with insulin prior to administering her daily injection. Diabetes is a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism in which sugars in the body are not oxidized due to a deficiency of the hormone insulin (manufactured by the pancreas). Symptoms include thirst, loss of weight, & excessive production of urine. Fat metabolism is affected & ketones accumulate in the blood, eventually leading to convulsions preceding diabetic coma. Treatment is based on insulin injections, a carefully-controlled diet & the use of oral drugs (tolbutamide) that lower blood-sugar levels.