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In the early ’90s, it was unheard of to encounter children as young as 7 years old to have diabetes. In recent years, the number of children diagnosed with diabetes each year has risen to “very scary, very alarming” rates of epidemic proportion.
Type 1 diabetes is growing by 3% per year in children and adolescents, and at an alarming 5% per year among pre-school children. It is estimated that 70,000 children under 15 develop type 1 diabetes each year (almost 200 children a day).
In the US, it is estimated that type 2 diabetes represents between 8 and 45% of new-onset diabetes cases in children depending on geographic location. Over a 20-year period, type 2 diabetes has doubled in children in Japan, so that it is now more common than type 1. In native and aboriginal children in North America and Australia, the prevalence rate of type 2 diabetes ranges from 1.3 to 5.3%.
If it is any consolation, the number of adults living with debilitating complications from diabetes has decreased . However, diabetes in children is a different story.
“It’s alarming to be in the midst of this,” says pediatrician Jane Lynch of the Texas Diabetes Institute. “We are seeing here 7-year-olds, 8-year-olds with pure type 2 diabetes. They’re very obese, and within five years, we’re seeing kidney complications, we’re treating 10-year-olds for hypertension, high lipids and having to see how (the drugs to treat those conditions) interact with diabetes.”
“We have children with declining (kidney) function who are 17,” says Lynch. “We’ve had kids on multiple drugs for high blood pressure who are 18. We find ourselves using a lot of adult medications,” and studies have not been done to assure their safe use in children. “This has been a huge, scary learning curve for us in this study. We keep venturing further and further out on that limb.”
With hopefully, what is light at the end of this tunnel, several research are ongoing that study children and diabetes:
The HEALTHY study (part of STOPPT2D [Studies to Treat or Prevent Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes]) will help determine effective ways to lower diabetes risk factors in middle school students.
The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth project is tracking the incidence and prevalence of diabetes in the United States and will help clarify trends in childhood and adolescent diabetes.
The TODAY (Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth) study seeks to identify the best treatment for children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes.
Hopefully with studies like these, we will begin to see some relief, some answers and maybe better treatment options for diabetic children and adults in the years to come.
[source: USAToday]
November is “American Diabetes Month” and November 14 is “World Diabetes Day“.
Tags: diabetes, epidemic, children, adolescents, world diabetes day, American diabetes month, November, observance, research, treatment options, pediatric, type 1, type 2
998 days ago
This story, albeit very informative, is very alarming. Truly — this sort of information should raise question as to what’s changed in our world that people are being diagnosed sooner for both types of diabetes – 1 and 2! How are statistical studies warranting the criteria for diagnosis? Does anybody have a good answer? I’d love to learn more about it. Please contact me on tudiabetes.com – A Community for People Touched by Diabetes. And a very nice community at that :)
Best,
Allison Love Beatty – Founder of “Allies Voice”
Making the World Safer for People with Diabetes
AlliesVoice.com
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