Type 2 diabetes in children: clinical aspects and risk factors

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Silva Arslanian1

  • 1Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes Mellitus, Children's Hospital, University of Pittsburgh, Pa 15213, USA. arslans@chplink.chp.edu

Hormone Research
|April 30, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Type 2 diabetes is increasingly diagnosed in children, linked to rising obesity rates. Key risk factors include obesity, family history, and puberty, all associated with insulin resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Metabolic Disorders
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Type 2 diabetes mellitus was historically considered an adult disease.
  • Recent decades show a concerning rise in pediatric type 2 diabetes cases globally, paralleling increased obesity.
  • This trend necessitates understanding the unique risk factors and pathophysiology in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the risk factors contributing to type 2 diabetes in children.
  • To elucidate the role of insulin resistance and beta-cell function in pediatric type 2 diabetes.
  • To differentiate the clinical presentation of type 2 diabetes from type 1 diabetes in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

  • Review of epidemiological data on pediatric type 2 diabetes trends.
  • Analysis of risk factors such as obesity, family history, ethnicity, puberty, and gender.
  • Discussion of the pathophysiology involving insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction.
  • Comparison of clinical features between pediatric type 2 and type 1 diabetes.

Main Results:

  • Obesity and increased body mass index are primary risk factors for pediatric type 2 diabetes.
  • Family history, minority ethnicity, puberty, and female gender are significant contributing factors.
  • Insulin resistance is the central mechanism linking these risk factors to the disease.
  • Both insulin resistance and beta-cell failure are evident in established cases.

Conclusions:

  • Paediatric type 2 diabetes is a growing concern driven by modifiable risk factors like obesity.
  • Understanding insulin resistance is crucial for managing and preventing type 2 diabetes in children.
  • Distinguishing type 2 from type 1 diabetes in children is essential for appropriate clinical management.

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