To get energy from the starches and sugar we eat, everyone needs adequate supplies of a hormone called insulin. People with diabetes either do not make enough insulin or are unable to make efficient use of whatever insulin they do manage to produce. Without insulin, sugar builds up in the blood, eventually leading to a host of serious problems. Diabetes (referred to medically as diabetes mellitus) can start in childhood, but more often appears later in life. There is no cure for this disease, but it can be controlled. Left uncontrolled, it can result in damage to the heart, kidneys, eyes, blood vessels, and nerves.