Taming surge in type-2 diabetes cases among Kenyan youth

Doris, aged 20, was diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes early this year. The news surprised her since she thought that the disease mainly affected older people.

But after a follow-up discussion with a doctor, she discovered that the obesity problem she had been struggling with for years had increased her risk of getting the disease.

She is among the growing number of young people that are increasingly being diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes and a myriad of other non-communicable diseases due to unhealthy diets, minimal physical activity and obesity cases that are on the rise.

When people are obese, fat accumulation in the stomach usually prevents insulin — the hormone that regulates body sugar — from working effectively, causing Type-2 diabetes. This is because the accumulated fat is believed to destroy special types of cells in the pancreas — known as beta cells — which produce insulin.

Saving lives

Being diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes at a younger age comes with other complications that appear to manifest themselves faster among this age group compared to the older ones.

To save lives and avert the adverse health impacts of the ensuing complications, health experts are calling for increased monitoring and attention while dealing with youth onset Type-2 diabetes.

This refers mainly to cases among adolescents, teenagers and individuals in their early twenties.

The results of a new study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicates that people with Type-2 diabetes, which has been diagnosed during their youth, have a high risk of developing complications related to the condition at early ages.

The findings were the culmination of a first-of-its-kind trial funded by the US-based National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.

“Compared to what we see in adults with Type-2 diabetes, the youth in the study developed complications much earlier in their disease course and at a much faster pace over time,” said Dr Philip Zeitler, a lead researcher of the study and professor of paediatrics-endocrinology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

“This study shows the importance of treating youth-onset Type-2 diabetes intensively from the beginning and using all available approaches to control blood glucose and prevent, delay, or aggressively treat developing complications.”

The study involved 500 youth. At the time of their enrolment into the research trial, they were between the ages of 10 and 17. They had all been diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes for less than two years, and were overweight or had obesity.

The researchers proceeded to assess their condition for more than a decade.

During this period, they were monitored for signs of diabetes complications which included heart disease, kidney disease, diabetic foot and eye problems.

Overall, the researchers saw a steady decline in the body’s ability to control or regulate blood sugar levels among the youth over time.

This is believed to have contributed to the various complications that the youth developed. Within 15 years of a Type-2 diabetes diagnosis, about 60 percent of participants had at least one diabetes-related complication, and nearly a third of participants had two or more complications.

Specifically, the research showed that 67 percent of them had high blood pressure, about 55 percent had kidney disease while 32 percent had evidence of nerve disease.

In addition, 51 percent and 52 percent of the youth participating in the study were found to suffer from eye problems and high-fat levels in their blood.

“Youth-onset Type-2 diabetes is distinct from adult-onset diabetes. It is both more aggressive and more difficult to control,” said Dr Barbara Linder, one of the scientists who led the study.

She states: “By following this unique disease course, our study shows the devastating complications that can develop in what should be the prime of these young people’s lives.”

Dr Griffin Rodgers, the director of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases noted: “The study has been instrumental in understanding and treating Type-2 diabetes in youth. In addition to finding better prevention methods, discovering new and better treatment options to manage Type-2 diabetes in youth will be key to ensuring their healthy futures.”

Since obesity and a sedentary lifestyle are the biggest diabetes risk factors that are controllable, health experts recommend that people should watch their weight and exercise regularly to avert Type-2 diabetes.

They note that diet is also important because it helps with weight loss and enables people to maintain the recommended weight.

A balanced diet with minimal starch, some protein and plenty of vegetables is beneficial.

Harmful habits such as smoking are also prohibited as they increase the risk of developing Type-2 diabetes.