Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes: Burden of Complications and Socioeconomic Cost

With the rise in prevalence of youth-onset type 2 diabetes (T2DM), it is imperative to understand the clinical burden of the disease and the socioeconomic burden this disease imposes. We review the most recent data on youth-onset T2DM, including its pathophysiology, complications, and treatment. We also review existing data to determine the socioeconomic burden of youth-onset T2DM.

The incidence of youth-onset T2DM is rising, and significantly accelerated following the COVID-19 pandemic. Youth with T2DM are more frequently from families of racial/ethnic minorities and lower socioeconomic status. Youth-onset T2DM has more rapid disease progression compared to adult-onset type 2 diabetes. It results in earlier and more severe microvascular and macrovascular complications compared to both adult-onset T2DM and youth-onset type 1 diabetes (T1DM). While there is a lack of data describing the socioeconomic cost of youth-onset T2DM, based on extrapolation from analyses of the burden of T2DM in adults and T1DM in youth, we propose that youth-onset T2DM has higher direct and indirect costs than adult-onset T2DM. Youth-onset T2DM presents a significant clinical and socioeconomic burden due to its aggressive presentation and earlier appearance of complications. Additional research is needed regarding the cost of illness in this population.