What types of diabetes are there?

We live in demanding times: On the one hand, we can fall back on a larger food offer than ever, which enables a health-conscious diet. On the other hand, our society has never sat so much because of the world of work and private habits. If a lack of exercise is constantly with a carbohydrate, fat and sugar-containing Nutrition meets, negative effects for the human body are inevitable.

The result is sometimes a permanently increased Blood sugar levelwhat the danger diabetes drastically raised. However, not all types of diabetes are based on bad habits. We explain which forms there are and how they differ medically.

By the way: research is repeatedly done about diabetes. So researchers have one Intestinal bacterium Discovered that conventional diabetes medication and weight loss syringes could make conventional diabetes in the future.

What are the diabetes types?

Diabetes mellitus is a disease in which the blood sugar levels are permanently too high. This is based on a metabolic disorder for which there are different causes. These are divided into five individual diabetes types. We explain the shapes and what is behind it:

Type 1 diabetes: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is an autoimmune disease, according to the German Center for Diabetes Research, in which the cells in the human body do not produce insulin. In principle, this hormone is responsible for blood sugar intake (glucose), which gets into human cells from the blood. With the T1D diabetes form, the natural carbohydrate collects instead in the blood and increases the sugar levelthat creates health problems through the increase.

Type 2 diabetes: The body initially produces insulin sufficiently, but that changes over time due to poor lifestyle. The sensitivity of the body cells to the hormone is reduced, which makes the cells resistant: the result is that the body’s insulin is no longer sufficient to be able to act health. Loud Robert Koch Institute (Rki) is for Type 2 diabetes (T2D) In addition to an inherited disposition of lifestyle, the disease results from overweight from a mix Lack of exercise and unbalanced nutrition (sugar, fat and Salt). Smoking can also make this type of diabetes worse. How the Federal Ministry of Health explainsyoung adults, even young people, are increasingly developing it.

As the Institute for Quality and Economics describes in the healthcare system (IQWiG), type 2 diabetes occurs much more frequently than the Diabetes form T1D: Around 90 percent of those affected therefore have type 2 diabetes. An intersection of the two types will Double diabetes called.

There are more than two types of diabetes: two more are common

Other forms of diabetes: In the past, they were partially as « Type 3 diabetes“(T3D), explains the German Diabetes Aid. However, because this term is misleading, it has not been used since 2019. The spectrum includes various sub-forms of diabetes: it arises from damage, destruction or (partial) removal of the pancreatic gland that occurs in the course of other diseases or an accident. German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD) mixed formsin which diabetes mellitus occur as a result of genetic defects, infections, treatments with medication or a disturbed hormone production. According to the information, further designations are « secondary forms of diabetes » and « other diabetes types ».

Pregnancy diabetes or type 4 diabetes: In pregnant women, a special expression of diabetes can occur. In many cases, insulin resistance occurs in many cases when a child will grow up in the womb. With gestational diabetes – so loud diabinfo.de The medically correct designation – the body’s own cells no longer adequately address the hormone during pregnancy. In most cases, diabetes disappears after birth. However, the portal refers to itthat a pregnancy diabetes should act early in order to avoid short and long-term consequences for the mother and also the offspring.

The German Diabetes Aid also explains to us on request that in principle every person can live well with the chronic metabolic disease regardless of the type-provided that it is continuously treated individually and is stable.

Named new diabetes form: Type 5 diabetes affects over 20 million people worldwide

So far, there have been only four forms of diabetes. Now has the International Diabetes Association (IDF) The classification at the World Diabetes Congress in Bangkok (Thailand) in April 2025 expanded by a form: Type 5 diabetes. The metabolic disease was previously known as « diabetes mellitus in connection with malnutrition »-in short: MRDM for Malnutrition-related diabetes mellitus-and, according to the IDF, is particularly widespread in Asia and Africa. An estimated 20 to 25 million people worldwide suffer from type 5 diabetes.

The disease is triggered by chronic sub- and malnutrition, especially if it occurs in childhood and adolescence or already in the womb. Therefore, according to the IDF, the assumption is obvious that the pancreas is located – here are loud here flexikon.doccheck.com The insulin-producing cells or beta cells-due to years of lack of nutrients, do not develop properly and thus only a few the body insulin can produce. As a result, an insulin deficiency arises in the case of those affected and the blood sugar level increases. As a rule, type 5 diabetes can be treated well with oral antidiabetics, explains the association.