Most of the people needing diabetes medications are living with type 2 diabetes. There are about 27 million people with type 2 diabetes in the US who have been diagnosed as needing immediate care. The April 2025 meeting of the Global Diabetes Institute has added more complexity to this situation. The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) formed a Type 5 diabetes working group because this severe health issue affects more than 25 million people across the world. The form of diabetes known as type 5 primarily affects underfed individuals who suffered from inadequate nutrition in their developmental years. The improper development of their pancreas has resulted in minimal insulin production. The symptoms do not match common expectations when a thin young person who maintains proper eating habits and lacks diabetes family history presents with these symptoms, so healthcare professionals must consider alternative possibilities, such as defective insulin-producing cells or the other condition known as maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY). The discovery of Type 5 diabetes helps medical professionals understand difficult cases while providing an additional diagnostic tool for their assessment.
Type 5 diabetes presents symptoms of severe insulin-deficient diabetes (SIDD) because it causes both low insulin levels and insufficient metabolic control. Type 5 diabetes and malnutrition-related diabetes develop primarily from chronic undernutrition, which affects people during their childhood or adolescent years. Type 1 diabetes develops when the body attacks insulin-producing cells through autoimmune destruction. Insulin production in the body fails to function correctly in Type 2 diabetes patients. Type 5 diabetes is distinct. The condition forms from persistent nutrient shortages which cause pancreatic development problems.
Medical professionals previously recognized type 5 diabetes, and now they have established its distinct diabetes mellitus category through proof that insulin resistance causes the condition. Studies conducted recently identified special metabolic features of this condition since type 5 diabetes patients lack sufficient insulin while their bodies maintain normal insulin resistance levels. Type 5 diabetes shows similarities with maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) in young adults because patients with this condition respond well to oral medications like Onglyza with Metformin and Januvia (prescribed off-label for type 1 or type 5 diabetes) rather than needing insulin injections for blood sugar management.
What causes diabetes?
Genes play a big role in how our body makes insulin as does being overweight. Obese or overweight people are likely to suffer from insulin resistance. This is when the body makes insulin, but the cells don’t use it properly causing the body to create more insulin to make up for it. There are many other causes of diabetes, but type 1 and type 2 are by far the largest components of this condition and have received the greatest amount of attention, recognition, and treatment. In the case of type 5 diabetes, while doctors have identified the symptoms, there was no way to distinguish them as having a different cause than the other two most prevalent types.
What are the symptoms of diabetes?
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, there are about 8 million people who have type 2 diabetes but don’t even know it and many more develop type 2 diabetes each year. This is because the symptoms can sometimes be so mild that they aren’t noticeable. Common symptoms include being very thirsty, frequent need to pee, feeling constantly tired, having wounds that don’t heal, blurry vision or feeling irritable.
How is diabetes treated?
While many people can control their type 2 diabetes with diet and exercise alone, not everyone can. Many people need medication to control their sugar levels and insulin production. The exact type of medicine a person needs depends on blood sugar levels, causes, and other factors, and often a doctor will combine different drugs.
Jardiance is a member of the SGLT2 inhibitor class and it works differently than other forms of diabetes medications by helping the body remove excess sugar it doesn’t need through urination. This means lower blood sugar levels and lower A1C (glycated hemoglobin – a test which measures the levels of blood glucose).
Jardiance is a good option for managing diabetes for people who cannot tolerate the health problems due to the side effects of Metformin or Sulfonylurea on their own, but it can and often is taken alongside either of those. The drug can also help lower the risk of death from heart disease, stroke, heart attack, or heart failure in adults who suffer from both type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Many doctors prescribe Jardiance along with other medication, depending on certain factors. As the body is always changing, sometimes it means our medication needs to change with it so it’s definitely worth talking to your doctor about using Jardiance.
Metformin is a common medication which helps the body use insulin more effectively as well as lowering glucose production in the liver. Interestingly, a 24-week study was done which showed that people taking Jardiance in addition to Metformin benefited from A1C reductions of 0.7% and 0.8% compared to just 0.1% when taking just Metformin alone.
For more info on more diabetes meds, check out this article.
Diet and exercise
Jardiance, as well as many other medications, is used together with both diet and physical activity. It is crucial in keeping blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes closer to normal and preventing complications that can include heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.
Foods with a low glycemic index are helpful as this can help you achieve a more stable blood sugar level without sugar spikes. It’s also advisable to eat more fruit, vegetables, whole grains and less carbohydrates and sweets. It could be a good idea to consult with a dietician who can help you put together a meal plan and manage your carbohydrate intake.
Everyone needs regular exercise, and especially people with diabetes. Make sure you discuss with your doctor how best to start, and try to make physical activity a part of your daily routine. Always remember to check your blood sugar levels before working out.
Whichever solution is taken, it’s necessary to prevent type 2 diabetes from causing the possible severe effects.
To conclude, type 2 diabetes is a manageable disease that can be treated in a lot of cases with diet and exercise, but sometimes medication can become necessary. In such a case, make sure you come to your doctor’s appointment well versed on your treatment options so you can find the best possible treatment program that will work well for your body.
Jardiance works, but it’s not for everyone
Jardiance is a popular diabetes medication because it helps control blood sugar and also protects the heart. It works really well for people with type 2 diabetes. But if you’ve got type 5 diabetes, a form that was recently recognized by experts, Jardiance might not be the best choice. That’s because type 5 diabetes isn’t about the body resisting insulin. It’s about not having enough insulin at all, due to poor nutrition during early growth.
While Jardiance is a great option for many people, it’s a good reminder that not every diabetes drug is right for every person. Knowing the exact type of diabetes is key to finding the right treatment.
Questions and Answers
Can Jardiance help with type 5 diabetes?
Probably not very much. Jardiance works by helping your kidneys remove sugar through your urine, which is useful if your body has trouble using insulin. But in type 5 diabetes, the real issue is that your body doesn’t make enough insulin to begin with. That means you need a treatment that helps increase insulin or replaces what’s missing, not one that just gets rid of extra sugar.
What’s the safest way to figure out which diabetes type you have?
Your doctor can run some blood tests and ask questions about your history. They’ll want to know about things like body weight, how long you’ve had symptoms, and even your diet growing up. If you’re not overweight and don’t have the usual risk factors, ask your doctor to look into other causes. It could make a big difference in your treatment.
How does Jardiance work with diabetes?
Jardiance is an SLGT-2 (sodium glucose co-transporter-2) inhibitor that works by blocking the reabsorption of glucose in the kidney, increasing glucose excretion and lowering blood glucose levels in adults with type 2 diabetes who have elevated blood sugar levels.
