Type 2 diabetes (T2D) has become a noncommunicable pandemic. Approximately 14.7% of the US adult population has diabetes. 1 Additionally, nearly 25% of the geriatric population has diabetes and nearly 50% has prediabetes. 2 Needless to say, most practices, regardless of specialty, see many patients with diabetes. We have made major advances in diabetes treatments, yet diabetes mellitus is still the leading cause of legal blindness, nontraumatic amputation, and end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis. 3
While the prevalence of diabetes in adults is concerning, what is even more startling is the significant increase of T2D within the pediatric population. It was not too long ago that we considered T2D an “adult-only” disease. Now, 24% of children with diabetes have T2D, and 18% of adolescents have prediabetes. 4,5 This is not the end of the story. Recent studies have identified that the earlier you are diagnosed with T2D, the less responsive you are to diabetes treatments—and the disease will progress more rapidly to complications.
We know that pediatric patients are not little adults. There are important physiologic and metabolic differences in our younger patients. The RISE study found that adolescents have lower insulin sensitivity than adults. 4,6 The pancreatic beta cells are more responsive at first and there is less clearance by the liver, which may indeed make insulin resistance worse. Finally, pancreatic beta cell function declines more rapidly in adolescents than in adults. 4,6 These physiologic changes can be even worse during puberty. The hormonal changes seen in puberty accelerate and amplify insulin secretion and worsen insulin resistance, which can result in hyperglycemia in those at risk. 7,8
The other complicating factor is the rapid rise in obesity in Americans. While childhood obesity is not quite at adult levels, it is a major risk factor for adult obesity. The prevalence of obesity in childhood was recently estimated to be 19.7% and is still on the rise. 9 Obesity can be diabetogenic as we see an increase in visceral obesity. This triggers an inflammatory response that leads to worsening systemic insulin resistance and lipotoxicity from elevated circulating free fatty acids. 8
Lifestyle and behavioral factors are also important in adolescents with T2D. While they are more independent than younger children, they are still largely dependent on the foods that are available in their home. Family food choices have a major impact on our youth. Further, the foods that our adolescents eat outside the home are more likely to be fast food or ultra-processed foods, which have been shown to contribute to obesity and T2D.
Family history is a strong predictor of risk for T2D. In the Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) cohort, 89.4% of pediatric participants had a first-degree relative or grandparent with T2D. 10 This highlights the importance of both genetic risk and living environment as risks for T2D.
The American Diabetes Association recommends that all children with specific risk factors be screened for diabetes starting at the age 10 years or at puberty, whichever comes first. 11 The screening tests recommended for diabetes are currently the same as for adults, yet there are few data supporting this regimen. To diagnose diabetes, you can use any of the following screening tests: fasting glucose, glucose tolerance, or glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). 1