Millions May Have Type 5 Diabetes – But Many Cases Go Unrecognised

We’ve written before at HuffPost UK about how some scientists classify dementia as “type 3 diabetes”. 

Though the disease doesn’t involve the pancreas, it seems to be strongly linked to blood sugar. The brain is considered an “insulin-sensitive organ” and, Alzheimer’s Society explained, “some of the changes that occur in Alzheimer’s disease are similar to those in diabetes”.

Scientists also debated the existence of a “type 5 diabetes” for decades. After adding it in 1985, the World Health Organisation (WHO) withdrew its classification of the condition in 1999, citing a lack of evidence.

But in 2025, it became formally recognised by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). 

What is type 5 diabetes?

Formerly known as malnutrition-related diabetes mellitus (MRDM), type 5 diabetes results from undernutrition, especially in childhood and adolescence. 

This lack of food and/or nutrients impairs the pancreas’ development and leads to insulin deficiency. 

The IDF estimates that “millions” of people, especially in low- and middle-income nations, could be living with type 5 diabetes, though they say that many get misdiagnosed with type 1 or type 2 diabetes instead. 

More specifically, about 25 million are expected to be living with the condition in Asia and Africa.

What are the symptoms of type 5 diabetes?

These can look quite like those of type 1 diabetes and often present in children and young people. 

They include: 

But unlike people with type 1 diabetes, those with type 5 diabetes don’t see autoimmune destruction of pancreatic cells. In other words, it isn’t an autoimmune condition. 

Experts have called the recognition of type 5 diabetes “long overdue” 

Some experts have said the recognition of type 5 diabetes is “long overdue”, adding: “Although type 5 diabetes has been on the radar for over 70 years, it has fallen through the cracks of the global health system”. 

In a review created after the condition’s formal recognition, researchers said : “Due to the paucity of data, the ideal management approach for type 5 diabetes is currently not based on evidence-guided intervention”. 

Advice usually given to people with type 2 diabetes, including the suggestion to lose weight, is not helpful here (those with type 5 diabetes usually have low BMIs), it reads.

“Individuals with type 5 diabetes might only need minimal amounts of insulin, or alternative approaches to stimulate insulin secretion, to manage hyperglycaemia and avoid hypoglycaemia.”

More research is needed to work out the best way to treat type 5 diabetes. But some feel that giving the condition its proper recognition is a necessary and useful step forward.