A new study using five diabetes subgroups suggests patients in different groups face different comorbidities — a finding that could be used to improve prevention and treatment.

Last year, Swedish researchers reported that patients with diabetes could be classified into five subgroups with two broadly overlapping with type 1 diabetes, and the remaining three being more in line with type 2.

The five subgroups were:

Now German researchers have found that, five years after diagnosis, patients in the SIRD and SIDD subgroups are more prone to two diabetic comorbidities than those in the other three subgroups.