23-07-2025
New research could change the way type 1 diabetes is diagnosed
A new discovery suggests a different form of type 1 diabetes in individuals of African descent, challenging existing medical understanding.
A study of 894 volunteers in Cameroon, Uganda, and South Africa found 65 percent of youth-onset diabetes cases lacked typical autoantibodies and genetic predispositions.
This indicates that many young people in these regions have a non-autoimmune form of type 1 diabetes, unlike the commonly understood autoimmune type.
Similar findings were observed in 15 percent of Black Americans diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, contrasting with White Americans who typically show autoimmune patterns.
Researchers are calling for urgent investigation into the biological and environmental factors driving this form of diabetes to adapt diagnostic and treatment approaches for African settings.
