Bad news for the United States: the number of minors with type 1 or type 2 diabetes has been on the rise since 2001. The disease more often affects minorities.
Type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are booming in the United States. According to a study published on May 3 in the JAMA, these two diseases affect more and more children and adolescents in the country, and this in the long term. Indeed, the analysis focused on 3 million children between 2001 and 2009.
All ethnic groups affected
The prevalence of type 1 diabetes jumped 21% over the period. This form of the disease manifests itself in childhood. No surprise then: the bulk of the increase is observed among young people aged 15 to 19. On the other hand, no differences between ethnic groups, which is a real discovery, because type 1 diabetes is traditionally associated with white populations. “This increase in the prevalence [du diabète] among minorities in the United States is worrying, “the researchers say,” because these young people are more likely to have less control of their blood sugar levels, which can be associated with serious complications of type 1 diabetes. “On the other hand, difficult to determine. ‘explain this growing number of cases. The researchers recognize the need for more study to determine the causes, but suggest that the lower mortality in children should be taken into account.
The progression of type 2 diabetes
However, it is type 2 diabetes that is the most problematic. Its prevalence increased by 30% during the follow-up period. But the most telling figure is the proportion of T2D compared to T1D: type 2 diabetes today reaches 30 to 50% of new cases depending on the region. The number of cases has not increased among inhabitants of the Pacific Islands and young Native Americans. Not surprisingly, this form of diabetes primarily affects white, Hispanic and African-American populations. First guess of the researchers: the progression of childhood obesity in the country. Here again, a significant increase in the eyes of researchers, “because these young people will enter adulthood with several years of illness behind them, therefore more difficulty in treating it, and an increased risk of complications. “
The researchers point out a worrying detail: the rise in diabetes, both type 1 and type 2, is expected to continue. By 2050, the prevalence of type 1 diabetes is expected to triple, that of type 2 diabetes is expected to quadruple … unless efforts to reduce childhood obesity pay off quickly.
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