A recent study carried out by the Federal Centre for Disease Control and Preventio, combined with the National Institutes for Health, revealed that approximately 2 million American adolescents are suffering from pre-diabetic conditions.
The study will be published in the November issue of Pediatrics. The data was obtained from 950 participant adolescents in 1999-2000.
This rising incidence puts the study group, aged between 12 and 19, in serious risk of developing type 2 diabetes, or the also-increasing ‘double’ of ‘hybrid’ diabetes, in which patients suffer from both strains of the disease simultaneously. The pre-diabetic condition is strongly linked to obesity, poor diet, and a widespread apathy when it comes to exercise.
The study tested the adolescents for high blood sugar, after they had not eaten for several hours. The condition, when identified, is known as impaired fasting glucose, and is measured by conducting a blood test. In a sample that accurately represents the population, it was found that 1 in 14 boys and girls were affected. The figures, when applied to overweight individuals, leapt to 1 in 6.
Aside from being overweight, those adolescents who suffered from the condition were found to be more likely to have further symptoms suggesting future health complications, including bad cholesterol.
Most children suffering from diabetes are affected with type 1, sometimes called juvenile onset diabetes. This condition is usually genetic, occurs very early, and almost always requires insulin on a daily basis to treat. However, the incidence of younger people suffering from type 2 diabetes, commonly called adult onset diabetes, is rapidly increasing. Experts called for extensive lifestyle interventions to increase exercise and improve diets.
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