(IFL Science) — Until recently, diabetes came in two distinct varieties. However, a third major type exists, a fact that’s only come to light relatively recently – and it’s far more prevalent than people realized.
New research indicates that this means that plenty of people with the new Type 3c are being misdiagnosed as having Type 2, leading to incorrect treatment. According to the study in the journal Diabetes Care, just 3 percent of people with Type 3c are correctly identified.
A separate study concluded that anywhere between 5 and 10 percent of all diabetics in Western populations actually have Type 3c. That means that millions of people are living with the condition all over the world, and they don’t actually know it.
One of the researchers involved in the UK-centric work, clinical practitioner Andrew McGovern of the University of Surrey, explains that this new Type 3c can be extremely difficult to treat. Not only does it impair the pancreas’ ability to produce insulin, but it also prevents it from making key enzymes which are required for the digestion of food, along with other important hormones. (…)