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Type 2 diabetes in children and young adults in East London: an alarmingly high prevalence
Author(s) -
Balasanthiran A,
O'Shea T,
Moodambail A,
Woodcock T,
Poots AJ,
Stacey M,
Vijayaraghavan S
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
practical diabetes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.205
H-Index - 24
eISSN - 2047-2900
pISSN - 2047-2897
DOI - 10.1002/pdi.1689
Subject(s) - medicine , obesity , ethnic group , body mass index , type 2 diabetes , diabetes mellitus , young adult , health care , gerontology , type 2 diabetes mellitus , family history , demography , family medicine , pediatrics , surgery , endocrinology , sociology , economic growth , anthropology , economics
Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in the young is a growing concern in many countries worldwide. In previous studies, positive associations with obesity, female gender, and family history have been noted. Newham, East London, has one of the highest prevalence of T2DM in the UK as well as one of the youngest populations. Our aim was to establish the prevalence and characteristics of T2DM in young people in Newham, and compare findings with existing data. Forty‐four young people (≤25 years) with T2DM and an equal number of young people with type 1 diabetes were examined. A retrospective analysis of existing patient records utilising diabetes and pathology databases was conducted. The age‐specific prevalence of T2DM in children and young adults within Newham was noted to be the highest in the UK at 0.57/1000 (58 out of 100 300). There was a strong association with obesity and 77% of those with T2DM were found to have a body mass index ≥25kg/m 2 . Many had features of the metabolic syndrome. This analysis confirms the high prevalence of T2DM with obesity in young people, particularly among minority ethnic groups, and adds to concern among health care providers and commissioners about the need for preventative strategies to tackle this problem. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons.