Type-5 Diabetes Affects Millions in India - Experts Urge Formal Recognition to Improve Diagnosis and Care

Health experts are calling for official recognition of Type-5 diabetes, a little-known form of diabetes linked to malnutrition. This condition affects an estimated 6 million people in India and about 25 million worldwide, mostly in low- and middle-income countries like those in Asia and Africa.

A new article in The Lancet Global Health journal explains that Type-5 diabetes mainly impacts underweight teenagers and young adults. It is especially common in people who faced undernutrition both before birth and during early life.

Dr. Meredith Hawkins from the Global Diabetes Institute in New York said,

“Type-5 diabetes is different from other forms. Patients are usually very thin, with a BMI under 18.5, and show signs of chronic undernutrition.”

The condition was once recognized by the World Health Organization as malnutrition-related diabetes in 1985, but this label was removed in 1999. Since then, it has often been misdiagnosed as either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, leading to wrong treatments and confusion in the medical field.

Key Symptoms of Type-5 Diabetes:

• 
  

  High thirst, hunger, and frequent urination (similar to other types)

  
  


• 
  

  Signs of severe undernutrition like sunken eyes, stunted growth, fatigue, and pale skin

  
  


• 
  

  No history of diabetic ketoacidosis (unlike Type 1)

  
  


• 
  

  Sensitive to insulin but with low insulin levels

  
  


• 
  

  Lacking certain antibodies found in Type 1 diabetes

  
  

Doctors warn that misdiagnosis can be dangerous. For example, giving high doses of insulin (used for Type 1) can cause life-threatening low blood sugar in Type-5 patients, especially if they also suffer from food insecurity. Similarly, drugs that cause weight loss (used for Type 2) can make malnutrition worse.

Experts say that formally recognizing Type-5 diabetes would help:

• 
  

  Create clear diagnostic guidelines

  
  


• 
  

  Improve awareness and treatment

  
  


• 
  

  Avoid harmful medication mistakes

  
  


• 
  

  Guide future research and healthcare planning

  
  

Proper recognition will also support better care for millions of people who currently go unnoticed or are wrongly treated.