Most people have heard of type 1 and type 2 diabetes but now
concerns are being raised about under-diagnosis of a newly
identified form of the condition known as type 3c.
According to researchers from the University of Surrey, the
failure of doctors to recognise this form of diabetes is putting
clients' health at risk.
Type 3c diabetes occurs as a result of pancreatic disease or
injury sometimes many years prior to a diabetes diagnosis, which
affects the body's ability to produce insulin. It is also sometimes
called "pancreatogenic diabetes" or "diabetes of the exocrine
Type 3c diabetes is associated with poor glycaemic control and
early insulin therapy.
In type 1 diabetes the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy
body tissue in the pancreas preventing the creation of insulin. It
always needs insulin treatment.
Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes, occurs when
the body doesn't produce enough insulin to function properly, or
the body's cells don't react to insulin correctly.
Patients with this form of diabetes may be treated with diet and
medication but may eventually need insulin injections.
In the first ever study of its kind, researchers from the
University of Surrey examined the anonymised GP records of more
than two million people, looking at the frequency of different
types of diabetes and the accuracy of diagnosis.
They discovered that up to 97.3 per cent of people who have
previously experienced pancreatic disease are misdiagnosed,
typically with type 2 diabetes, rather than the correct condition
Researchers also discovered that adults were more likely to
develop type 3c diabetes than type 1 diabetes making it more common
than previously thought.
The findings have been published in the journal Diabetes
Misdiagnosing type 3c diabetes can have health risks. Patients
with type 3c may have a greater need for insulin therapy than those
with type 2 diabetes and may also benefit from taking digestive
enzymes with food. Delays in getting the correct treatment can
result in nerve, eye, and kidney damage.
Douglas Twenefour of Diabetes UK said: "All types of diabetes -
including those that develop after other conditions, such as
pancreatic disease - are very serious conditions.
"It's essential that all people with diabetes receive the
correct diagnosis, so that they have access to the right care and
treatment to manage their condition effectively, and reduce their
risk of complications."
Speaking to Medscape Medical News, Professor Simon de Lusignan
from the University of Surrey said he hopes these latest findings
will help GPs to make the correct diagnosis when they are treating
a patient with a history of pancreatic disease.
He also sees them as adding another piece to the jigsaw in terms
of further understanding of diabetes: "I think, over time, we will
see more and more subdivisions of diabetes and this, to me, is a
really interesting step on that journey."