Incidence rates of diabetes continue to increase in children, young adults

New findings from researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine confirm that the rates of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes continue to increase in children and young adults. Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic children and young adults also had higher incidence rates of diabetes.

The study appears online in the current issue of The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

The research team identified more than 18,000 children and young people from infants to 19 years of age with a physician diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes and more than 5,200 young people between the ages of 10 and 19 with Type 2 diabetes at five centers in the U.S.

“The researchers mentioned that In their 17-year analysis, it was found that the incidence of Type 1 diabetes increased by 2% per year, and the incidence of Type 2 diabetes increased by 5.3% per year.

The rates of increase were also higher among racial and ethnic groups than among non-Hispanic white children. Specifically, annual percentage increases for Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes were highest for Asian or Pacific Islander, Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black children and young people.

These findings will help guide focused prevention efforts. Now that there is a better understanding of risk factors, their next phase of research will be studying the underlying pathophysiology of youth-onset diabetes.

Reference:

Incidence rates of diabetes continue to increase in children, young adults; The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, DOI: 10.1016/S2213-8587(23)00025-6