Doctors officially recognized a new form of diabetes

The International Diabetes Federation has officially recognized type 5 as a separate form of the disease.

Under the general name «diabetes», doctors understand at least ten different types of this disease. They are not easy to separate from each other.

In particular, type 1 diabetes occurs as a result of an autoimmune disease, when the immune system mistakenly attacks the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. Unlike other types, this form of diabetes is associated with a genetic predisposition and triggers such as viruses and infections. The most common treatment currently available is lifelong insulin injections for lowering blood glucose levels.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of this disease. It is associated with overweight, lack of physical activity, or genetic predisposition. This type of disease occurs due to insufficient production of insulin by the pancreas, or when cells become resistant to the action of this hormone (insulin resistance).

Common treatments for this type of diabetes include increase in the body’s insulin productionor taking drugs that increase the sensitivity of cells to insulin, such as metformin. Changing your lifestyle also has an impact on controlling this type of diabetes. Studies have shown that following a diet that limits food intake to 800 calories per day for a year helped 46% of participants to get rid of type 2 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes can develop in women during pregnancy, usually between 24 and 28 weeks It is caused by hormonal changes that reduce the body’s sensitivity to insulin. Risk factors include being overweight, heredity, or having a large baby during a previous pregnancy. 

Rarer forms of diabetes include neonatal diabetes, which manifests itself at an early age due to certain genetic changes affecting insulin production. Mature-onset diabetes in the young, or MODY, occurs later in life and is associated with genetic changes. There are several gene changes, some of which affect the way pancreatic cells perceive sugar, others affect the development of the pancreas. 

Type 3c diabetes is caused by damage to the pancreas. It can also develop after pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas).

People with cystic fibrosis also have an increased risk of developing diabetes. This is called cystic fibrosis-related diabetes. The risk increases with age and is very common: about one third of people with cystic fibrosis develop diabetes by the age of 40.

Defined as type 5 diabetes, this type of disease is associated with chronic malnutrition at an early age. It is most common in very poor countries. About 20-25 million people worldwide suffer from this form of diabetes. People with this type of diabetes have a very low body mass index, and their pancreas is unable to produce enough insulin. Due to the lack of proper nutrition in childhood, the pancreas may not have developed normally. A low-protein diet during pregnancy or adolescence leads to poor pancreatic development.

Without puncturing your finger: laser patch will tell you about your health status during diabetes