What metabolic disorder is characterized by impaired carbohydrate metabolism due to a lack of insulin?

The correct choice reflects a condition where carbohydrate metabolism is disrupted primarily due to the insufficient production of insulin. Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that falls into two main types: type 1, which typically involves an autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, and type 2, which is often associated with insulin resistance and a relative insulin deficiency. In both cases, the body struggles to manage glucose levels effectively, leading to elevated blood sugar levels and various symptoms related to poor regulation of carbohydrate metabolism.

In the context of the other options, hyperglycemia refers specifically to an elevated blood glucose level and is often a consequence of diabetes, rather than the underlying disorder itself. Hypoglycemia, on the other hand, indicates an abnormally low blood glucose level, which might occur for various reasons including insulin overdosing in a diabetic patient but is not directly tied to carbohydrate metabolism impairment due to insufficient insulin. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes but does not directly describe the impaired carbohydrate metabolism attributed to a lack of insulin. Therefore, diabetes mellitus is the most accurate choice to encapsulate the metabolic disorder characterized by this specific issue.