Type 5 diabetes mellitus: revisiting malnutrition-related diabetes.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review and disease overview without systematic methodology or primary human trial data.
PubMed 42635143 · doi:10.5603/ep.111734
What was done
This narrative review summarizes the history, diagnostic features, pathophysiology, and management of type 5 diabetes mellitus (T5DM, historically malnutrition-related diabetes mellitus) following its 2025 endorsement by the International Diabetes Federation.
What was found
The abstract reports that T5DM affects an estimated 20–25 million people globally, predominantly young individuals with low body mass index in low- and middle-income countries. It is characterized by severe hyperglycemia, impaired insulin secretion, preserved insulin sensitivity, resistance to ketosis, and lack of autoimmune markers, driven by early-life undernutrition affecting pancreatic β-cell development. No primary empirical or statistical trial results are provided in the abstract.
Why it matters
Recognizing T5DM as a distinct entity helps clinicians avoid inappropriate therapies, such as unnecessary intensive lifelong insulin (if misclassified as type 1) or insulin-sensitizing agents targeted at insulin resistance (if misclassified as type 2).
Limits
The paper is a narrative overview without primary trial data, quantitative meta-analysis, or specific sample sizes. Standardized diagnostic criteria, formal clinical trial outcomes, and evidence-based treatment guidelines remain unestablished.
Cited by
- supports A type of diabetes occurring in malnourished individuals is being categorized as type 5 diabetes.