Information about the statement of the working group on changing the name of diabetes insipidus: why it is relevant and should be supported in Ukraine

Abstract

Diabetes is a term used to denote a wide range of diseases. Diabetes mellitus unites conditions quite different in pathogenesis, but the leading feature for them is hyperglycemia and the complications caused by it. Among non-endocrinologists, the term “diabetes”, which literally means the flow of water as if through a siphon, is mostly perceived precisely in the context of carbohydrate metabolism disorders and the need for hypoglycemic therapy. Diabetes insipidus the symptom of which is also polyuria, but which has a completely different pathogenesis and requires different treatment is quite often misunderstood precisely because of the use of the term “diabetes”. Incorrect perception of this pathological condition leads to the prescription of incorrect, unnecessary treatment or, on the contrary, to the cancellation of replacement therapy, which can lead to the development of serious adverse events, including irreversible ones. That is why it is urgent to change the name of diabetes insipidus with the exclusion of the term “diabetes” to eliminate misunderstandings and ensure the safety of patients. In October-November 2022, the working group for renaming diabetes insipidus synchronously published a statement in several leading medical sources on the feasibility of changing the name of diabetes insipidus. The working group of representatives of national and international endocrinology and pediatric endocrinology societies now proposes changing the name “diabetes insipidus” to “arginine vasopressin deficiency” for central etiology and “arginine vasopressin resistance” for nephrogenic etiology. The statement contains information about both the historical context and the rationale for the proposed name change. The main reason for the change is the issue of patient safety, as there is quite often confusion with diabetes mellitus, which leads to an inappropriate examination, unjustified treatment and can cause undesirable consequences, including serious ones. Changing the name of diabetes insipidus is also relevant for Ukraine, since the names of two different diseases in the Ukrainian language are even more similar than in the English version. That is why we consider it necessary to widely inform the medical community of Ukraine about the name change initiative and join its discussion and support.