Glucometer. A diabetic uses a lancet to take a droplet of blood from a finger to measure blood- sugar level. The droplet is transferred to a small chemically coated strip (white,centre right),which is then inserted into a digital glucometer (upper right) to obtain a blood-sugar reading. Also seen are a bottle of insulin and a syringe. Diabetes mellitus is caused by absence or insufficiency of the hormone insulin in the blood. Without insulin the body's tissues can not take up glucose,which leads to excessive urination,severe thirst,weight loss,fatigue,and,in some cases,coma and death. Treatment is based on regular blood monitoring and insulin injections |