DIABETES NEWS : 'There are now more type twos than type ones in young adults'

Sharing an article seen on Diabetes Diet Blog here

"Adapted from BMJ 4 Nov 2023 The Bottom Line: The time to tackle rising type 2 diabetes is T2DaY by Partha Kar consultant in diabetes and endocrinology Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust.

England’s 18-40 year olds with type two diabetes now exceed those with type one. In the not too distant past, type two diabetes was associated with middle age rather than youth. Causes for this increase include lifestyle, environmental and societal factors.

About 4% of people with type two diabetes are now under 40 years of age. Worryingly, this rise in type two diabetes is accelerating fastest in the under 40s. It tends to affect people who are socioeconomically deprived, are in minority ethnic groups, and in those with obesity. And the complications are aggressive.

There tends to be a greater risk of the vascular complications of diabetes compared to later onset type two diabetes. There are poorer pregnancy outcomes compared to type one diabetes. If you are diagnosed at the age of 30, you can expect to live 14 fewer years of life. At diagnosis, multi-morbidity is common and even if not present, can develop rapidly.

The 18 to 40 age group are often in education or working. They face transitions from the family home, to university or the workplace. Money tends to be tight. They are considering buying homes or renting. They may pairing off with partners, and they may already have a young family or be planning to start. Increasingly they can’t afford to buy a home, and put off having children till older ages.

There are now about 140,000 young adults with type two diabetes. It is important that the correct diagnosis is made at the outset, and that pregnancy planning and outcomes are prioritised. Dr Shivani Misra from Imperial College London, has published a Type 2 Diabetes in the Young programme that she hopes will be adopted in order to improve the outlook for these young people and their families.

Meanwhile, Government initiatives are needed to reduce socio-economic deprivation, improve healthy food options, improve space for exercise, and improve people’s motivation to look after themselves."

The link to the BMJ paper can be seen here

Although the above paper relates to figures in the UK, I would not be surprised if the result would be similar in many other countries worldwide.

More About Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes can develop at any age and requires insulin treatment for survival.

Type 2 Diabetes accounts for around 90% of all diabetes and is more commonly diagnosed in adults.

Gestational Diabetes occurs with high blood glucose during pregnancy and can cause complications for both mother and child.

While type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes are the most common forms of diabetes diagnosis, other types of diabetes are just as important.

About 1.5-2% of people live with rare forms of diabetes, which can be grouped into nine categories. Although less common, these types of diabetes still pose a significant health threat. By understanding them, we can better support those affected by this condition.

You can read more about diabetes including these other forms of diabetes using these links here and here

You may also like to read this related Diabetes News post here

All the best Jan