Renaming Diabetes Types

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes can be renamed with more descriptive and clinically useful labels. Type 2 diabetes can be renamed as a Lifestyle Diabetes reflecting the renewed emphasis on healthy nutrition and a physically active lifestyle. As type 1 diabetes mostly affects children and imposes a unique set of requirements, it can be referred to as Special Diabetes. Children can connect with this name, while caregivers will be reminded of the quite different needs of these patients. Additionally, new simplified names are suggested for other diabetes subtypes and related endocrine disorders. Gestational diabetes mellitus can be renamed with a less stigmatizing label: pregnancy hyperglycemia, reflecting its transient nature as opposed to a lifelong diagnosis. Monogenic diabetes of the young can be renamed as monogenic diabetes and latent autoimmune diabetes of adults as special antibody diabetes. Diabetes insipidus, which does not share pathophysiology with diabetes mellitus, can be renamed as Renal Insipidus and Pituitary Insipidus, based on the etiology. Lastly, polycystic ovarian syndrome, which does not require polycystic ovaries for diagnosis, can be renamed as Androgenic Syndrome reflecting hyperandrogenism as its main clinical and diagnostic feature.

Cite this article as: Hashim MJ. Renaming diabetes types. Turk J Endocrinol Metab. 2022;26(3):184-186.