There are five distinct types of diabetes rather than two, according to research published in the journal Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology.

The research found that type 2 diabetes could be separated out into four subtypes, each of which have distinct characteristics and complications, suggesting that people with type 2 diabetes might be affected by their diabetes in different ways and benefit from different treatments.

Researchers studied nearly 15,000 people with diabetes across Sweden and Finland. They examined factors including body mass index, blood glucose control and how well insulin-producing cells in the pancreas were working. Of the four types, they found the more common two were linked to older age or being overweight. The other two less common types were linked to a higher risk of diabetes-related complications.

Commenting on the findings, lead study author Professor Leif Groop, Lund University Diabetes Centre, Sweden, and Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland, said: “This study moves us towards a more clinically useful diagnosis, and represents an important step towards precision medicine in diabetes.”