Experts call for recognition of type 5 diabetes as an independent disease

An international group of specialists has requested that the medical community officially recognize type 5 diabetes as a separate disease , distinct from types 1 and 2. The proposal, dubbed the Vellore Declaration , was formalized last April during the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) World Congress and was published this Thursday in The Lancet Global Health.

Type 5 diabetes was first described in 1955 in underweight individuals with a history of childhood malnutrition. The World Health Organization (WHO) included it in 1985 under the name " malnutrition-related diabetes mellitus ," but withdrew it from its official classification in 1999 , considering that there was insufficient evidence that malnutrition was a determining risk factor.

Today, after decades of research, experts maintain that this form of diabetes has its own characteristics : patients produce little insulin , but process it normally , do not develop ketoacidosis —a serious complication typical of type 1 diabetes—and their immune system does not attack the pancreas .

According to the declaration's authors, at least 25 million people could be affected worldwide, especially young adults in low- and middle-income countries . However, lack of recognition has led to misdiagnosis , underreporting of cases, and a lack of treatment guidelines , with negative consequences for patient care.

To reverse this situation, the IDF has announced the creation of a working group to define formal diagnostic criteria and promote research into the progression and treatment of this disease.

“ Official recognition is essential to improve medical care and open the door to evidence-based therapies ,” the experts conclude, insisting that type 5 diabetes cannot remain a forgotten and invisible form of the disease.