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Review
. 2023 Mar 1;46(3):490-499.
doi: 10.2337/dci22-0046.

Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes: The Epidemiology of an Awakening Epidemic

Wei Perng  1   2 , Rebecca Conway  1   2 , Elizabeth Mayer-Davis  3 , Dana Dabelea  1   2   4
Affiliations
Review

Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes: The Epidemiology of an Awakening Epidemic

Wei Perng et al. Diabetes Care. .

Abstract

In this narrative review, we describe the epidemiology (prevalence, incidence, temporal trends, and projections) of type 2 diabetes among children and adolescents (<20 years), focusing on data from the U.S. and reporting global estimates where available. Secondarily, we discuss the clinical course of youth-onset type 2 diabetes, from prediabetes to complications and comorbidities, drawing comparisons with youth type 1 diabetes to highlight the aggressive course of this condition, which, only recently, has become recognized as a pediatric disease by health care providers. Finally, we end with an overview of emerging topics in type 2 diabetes research that have potential to inform strategies for effective preventive action at the community and individual levels.

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Conflict of interest statement

Duality of Interest. No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported.

Figures

None
Graphical abstract
Figure 1
Figure 1
Global prevalence of type 2 diabetes among children and adolescents (age <20 years), per 100,000.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Global incidence of type 2 diabetes among children and adolescents (age <20 years), per 100,000.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Temporal trends and APC in incidence of type 2 diabetes among multiethnic U.S. youth in the SEARCH study from 2002 to 2015. APC estimates for all youth are adjusted for age, sex, race, and ethnicity; estimates within racial and ethnic strata are adjusted for age and sex. Created from data reported in Mayer-Davis et al. (15) and Divers et al. (6).
Figure 4
Figure 4
A conceptual diagram of multilevel risk factors for youth-onset type 2 diabetes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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