The International Diabetes Federation’s formal recognition of type 5 diabetes, linked to undernutrition in young populations, challenges existing classifications and promises to reshape diagnosis and treatment worldwide.
Taiwanese obesity medicine specialist Sun Ming-tsung says the medical community has reached an important milestone with the International Diabetes Federation’s formal recognition of type 5 diabetes, a condition previously described as malnutrition-related diabetes mellitus. Writing on his clinic website and Facebook page, Sun said the new classification should change how doctors think about metabolic disease in younger patients.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, type 5 diabetes was recognised in 2025 and is linked to long-term undernutrition, particularly during adolescence and early adulthood. The federation says the condition is seen mainly in low- and middle-income countries, especially in South-East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, and is marked by too little insulin production because the pancreas does not develop properly during key growth periods.
Sun said the condition is different from type 1 diabetes, which is caused by autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing cells, and type 2 diabetes, which is usually associated with insulin resistance. He said patients are often very thin, with a body mass index below 19, and do not have the autoantibodies typically seen in type 1 diabetes. That has meant some patients were previously misdiagnosed and given treatment plans that did not fit their underlying illness.
The Cleveland Clinic says type 5 diabetes usually develops before the age of 30 and often requires insulin treatment, while researchers continue to study whether oral medicines may also help. The IDF has since created a working group, chaired by Meredith Hawkins, to draw up diagnostic criteria, develop treatment guidance and build a global research registry, underlining how recent the formal recognition is and how much remains to be defined.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
