Type 5 Diabetes Symptoms You Should Never Ignore for Better Health

Type 5 diabetes, also called MRDM, is linked to chronic malnutrition and causes severe insulin deficiency. Key symptoms include excessive thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, weight loss, slow healing, and blurred vision. 

Type 5 Diabetes; Six Symptoms Your Body Shows

Type 5 diabetes, also known as malnutrition-related diabetes mellitus (MRDM), is associated with chronic malnutrition and results in a severe deficiency of insulin.

Impaired pancreatic development due to malnutrition leads to high blood sugar.

It often affects thin young people and is different from Type 1 (autoimmune) or Type 2 (insulin resistance/obesity). It leads to high blood sugar due to impaired pancreatic development from prolonged malnutrition.

Increased thirst, frequent urination, headaches, blurred vision, fatigue

Symptoms of Type 5 diabetes include increased thirst, frequent urination, headaches, blurred vision, fatigue, and slow-healing wounds. Many symptoms overlap with malnutrition, like weight loss and fatigue, making diagnosis tricky.

Health experts say this condition is a result of malnutrition.

A key feature of Type 5 diabetes is that pancreatic cells are not destroyed but fail to develop, unlike Type 1. Experts say this results from prolonged malnutrition in childhood and adolescence.

Malnutrition and frequent infections can hinder the development of the pancreas.

Malnutrition and frequent infections can hinder pancreas development, reducing its ability to produce insulin. Type 5 diabetes differs from Type 1 as it's not autoimmune. It's also different from Type 2 as there's no insulin resistance. Patients are typically very thin, malnourished, and have a low body mass index.

Increases the risk of heart disease, kidney failure, and nerve damage

Type 5 diabetes increases the risk of other diseases, including heart disease, kidney failure, and nerve damage. Like all types of diabetes, early detection and proper treatment are crucial to prevent long-term health issues.

Effective glucose control is essential to reduce the risk of long-term complications.

Consistently high blood sugar or elevated HbA1c increases the risk of complications, just like in other types of diabetes. Therefore, effective glucose control is essential to reduce the risk of short and long-term complications.