• The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has officially recognized Type 5 diabetes as a distinct form of the disease, a significant step after decades of neglect and misdiagnosis.
• Type 5 diabetes primarily affects lean, malnourished young adults in low- and middle-income countries, resulting from malnutrition-induced impairment of insulin production by pancreatic beta cells.
• Unlike Type 2 diabetes (insulin resistance), Type 5 diabetes involves insufficient insulin production despite the absence of autoimmune or genetic causes, with affected individuals exhibiting significantly low body mass index (BMI) and poor dietary intake.
• The condition, initially reported in 1955 and previously classified as "malnutrition-related diabetes mellitus", is estimated to affect 25 million people globally and is linked to malnutrition starting in the womb, potentially exacerbated by subsequent under- or over-nutrition.
• While official recognition is a crucial step, the development of specific diagnostic criteria and therapeutic guidelines is still underway, with a focus on high-protein diets and individualized treatment approaches based on BMI, physical activity, and glucose levels.