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Increase in type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents in Western Australia
Author(s) -
McMahon Sarah K,
Haynes Aveni,
Ratnam Nirubasini,
Grant Maree T,
Carne Christine L,
Jones Timothy W,
Davis Elizabeth A
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2004.tb06023.x
Subject(s) - medicine , acanthosis nigricans , diabetes mellitus , pediatrics , anthropometry , type 2 diabetes , referral , type 1 diabetes , hyperlipidemia , insulin resistance , endocrinology , family medicine
Objectives: To document diagnosis rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents in Western Australia over the past 12 years, the clinical characteristics of these patients and any comorbidities. Design: Review of a prospectively recorded diabetes database. Setting: Tertiary paediatric referral centre (the only such centre in WA). Patients: All children and adolescents aged < 17 years diagnosed with type 2 diabetes between 1990 and 2002 and managed by Princess Margaret Hospital Diabetes Unit. Main outcome measures: Anthropometric and demographic data; glycohaemoglobin (HbA 1c ) level; blood pressure; lipid levels; presence of acanthosis nigricans. Results: 43 patients (15 males and 28 females) were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Age (SD) at diagnosis was 13.6 (1.8) years. The rate of diagnosis has been progressively increasing (average annual increase in the unadjusted overall rates of type 2 diabetes was 27%). Twenty‐three patients (53%) were of Indigenous origin and 18 (42%) resided in rural areas. The mean (SD) HbA 1c level at diagnosis was 10.0% (3.2%). Seventy‐two per cent of patients had acanthosis nigricans, 59% had hypertension, and 24% had hyperlipidaemia. Conclusions: There has been an increase in the diagnosis rate of type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents in WA. Comorbidities are frequent.