Type 4 diabetes: Your weight is not the main risk for getting this type of diabetes

It is most likely you have heard of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, but studies are showing that there is an under-diagnosis among older adults who are not overweight or obese, Healthline writes. Researchers are proposing the official classification of diabetes to include this type.

Type 4 diabetes

Unlike type 1 diabetes which is an autoimmune condition, the proposed type 4 classification may be linked to the ageing process. This is so because it isn’t connected to being overweight or obese either. There is ongoing research into this condition, but scientists have espoused some theories which show convincing links.

One such study was done on mice in 2015 and showed that people who did not fall under the mainstream type 1 or 2 diabetes classification, tend to have excess of immune cells called regulatory T cells. According to researchers, this could be linked to the ageing process. As studies in human are yet to be done, this theory remains just that. Healthline says on its website:

Scientists are just beginning to study type 4 diabetes, so they don’t yet have a lot of concrete information about what causes it.

Symptoms

The symptoms of type 4 diabetes are very similar to other types of diabetes. However, because it generally appears in people with a moderate weight, doctors may not suspect diabetes. Common symptoms include:

• fatigue
• increased thirst and or hunger
• sores that don’t heal
• frequent urination
• unintentional weight loss

Many of these symptoms are not exclusive to diabetes; they are also linked to other conditions and might not always indicate diabetes.

You should see a medical professional if you’ve been experiencing any of these symptoms. A doctor can review your symptoms and order any tests they think are needed, according to Healthline.

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