In the World Congress of Diabetes held this April in Bangkok, the International Diabetes Federation (FID) has announced the creation of a new working group on type 5 diabetes, a form of diabetes related to malnutrition that especially affects young people and thin adolescents in countries with few resources.
Although this type of diabetes has been known for more than 70 years, it has been confused many times with type 1 or type 2. But it is different: in type 5, there is serious insulin deficit, but without resistance to it.
And most interesting: many people can treat it with oral medication instead of insulin, which can be a great change in areas with limited resources.
👉 The group of experts will work at:
- Establish clear diagnostic criteria.
- Create adapted treatment guides.
- Train health professionals worldwide.
- And create a global case record to promote research.
This news reminds us of something very important: diabetes is not a single disease, and each story is unique.
Therefore, knowing and understanding the different forms that it can adopt helps us to be a stronger, more empathic and better informed community 💙.