Open AccessManagement of type 2 diabetes mellitus in youth
Author(s) -
Vasilios Giampatzis,
Κωνσταντίνος Τζιόμαλος
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
world journal of diabetes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1948-9358
DOI - 10.4239/wjd.v3.i12.182
Subject(s) - medicine , metformin , context (archaeology) , type 2 diabetes mellitus , type 2 diabetes , diabetes mellitus , glycemic , obesity , rosiglitazone , incidence (geometry) , pediatrics , intensive care medicine , endocrinology , paleontology , physics , optics , biology
The rising rates of obesity in youth have concurrently led to an increase in the rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in this age group. However, there are limited data on the efficacy of different antidiabetic agents in youth. In this context, the Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth trial recently reported that the majority of obese children and adolescents 10-17-years old with newly diagnosed T2DM (T2DM duration less than 2 years) could not achieve HbA1c levels < 8% for more than 1 year with metformin monotherapy, metformin plus rosiglitazone combination, or metformin and lifestyle changes. These findings suggest that, in the majority of youth with T2DM, tight long-term glycemic control with oral agents is an elusive goal and that most patients will require treatment with insulin within a few years of diagnosis to achieve HbA1c targets and reduce the risk of macro- and microvascular complications. Therefore, reducing the incidence of T2DM by preventing pediatric obesity through the implementation of lifestyle changes in the community should be the primary objective of healthcare systems.