Synopsis
Type-5 diabetes, a malnutrition-related condition affecting young adults, is gaining renewed recognition. It primarily impacts those in low-income regions and poses significant treatment challenges.Key Takeaways
- Type-5 diabetes is linked to malnutrition, impacting young adults.
- It affects approximately 20 to 25 million individuals worldwide.
- Insulin injections may harm Type-5 diabetes patients.
- A working group is set to develop diagnostic and treatment guidelines.
- The condition is often under-diagnosed, similar in prevalence to HIV/AIDS.
New Delhi, April 14 (NationPress) As instances of elevated blood sugar continue to escalate globally, a lesser-known malnutrition-associated type of diabetes, referred to as Type-5 diabetes, is once again coming to light after many years. Nearly 75 years after its initial documentation, this condition was formally named Type-5 diabetes during the recent International Diabetes Federation’s (IDF) World Diabetes Congress held in Bangkok, Thailand.
This condition predominantly affects young and underweight adults and was first identified in Jamaica in 1955, where it was originally termed J-type diabetes.
By the 1960s, cases were reported among undernourished groups in India, Pakistan, and regions of sub-Saharan Africa.
In 1985, the World Health Organization (WHO) acknowledged this condition as a unique diabetes type but retracted this classification in 1999 due to insufficient follow-up research and evidence.
What is Type-5 diabetes?
This malnutrition-related diabetes primarily impacts lean, malnourished adolescents and young adults in low- and middle-income nations. It is estimated that Type-5 diabetes affects approximately 20 to 25 million individuals globally, mainly in Asia and Africa.
Previous studies indicated that this type of diabetes arises from insulin resistance. However, unlike patients with Type-1 diabetes, insulin injections do not benefit those with Type-5 diabetes and can even lead to dangerously low blood sugar levels.
This is due to the fact that “individuals with this diabetes form possess a significant defect in their ability to secrete insulin, a fact that has only recently come to light. This insight has transformed our understanding of the condition and its treatment,” explained Meredith Hawkins, Professor of Medicine at the Global Diabetes Institute at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, US.
A study published in 2022 in the journal Diabetes Care, led by Hawkins and her team from Christian Medical College in Vellore, demonstrated that malnutrition-related diabetes is fundamentally distinct from Type-2 diabetes, which is often linked to obesity, and Type-1 diabetes, an autoimmune disorder.
However, the expert cautioned that “physicians remain uncertain about how to treat these patients, most of whom do not survive more than a year post-diagnosis.”
To enhance understanding of this condition and establish treatment protocols, the IDF has formed a dedicated working group.
What will the working group do?
According to Hawkins, this condition has “historically faced significant under-diagnosis and limited understanding.”
She noted that “malnutrition-related diabetes is more prevalent than tuberculosis and almost as prevalent as HIV/AIDS.”
The absence of a formal designation has impeded efforts to identify patients and develop effective treatments,” Hawkins stated.
The working group is charged with creating formal diagnostic and therapeutic guidelines for Type-5 diabetes within the next two years. It will establish diagnostic criteria, formulate management guidelines, create a global registry to promote research collaboration, and develop educational resources for healthcare providers globally.
