Follow
According to a recent research, the number of teenage diabetes cases seem to be on the rise.
According to a recent research, the number of teenage diabetes cases seem to be on the rise, similar to the increased number of childhood overweight and obesity, problems which are believed to be linked.
As November has been declared Diabetes Awareness Month, the new study, which was released in the online edition of the Journal of Pediatrics, might come to show that the problem is more serious than previously known.
The study was based on the Nutrition Examination Survey and the National Health data, both of which include nationwide samples.
The results of the research show that the number of children and teenage diabetes cases just about tripled in recent years as data showed a 23 percent case incidence in the 2007 to 2008 period. During the 1999 – 2000 time period, only 9 percent such cases were registered.
Scientists warn that diabetes tests and statistics can often be difficult to establish, as the body goes through a lot of changes during that period and has even been known to develop insulin resistance during the aforementioned years.
This could be one of the potential causes of Type 2 diabetes, which was previously thought to mostly develop in adults. Type 2 diabetes is different from Type 1 as instead of being unable to produce insulin, the body is now resistant to its action.
As Type 2 diabetes cases are on the rise amongst children, with children as young as 6 being affected by the disease.
One of the causes of the alarming rise in children and teenage diabetes is the increase in their BMI, which means the uncontrolled weight gain which can lead to obesity.
As many patients diagnosed with pre-diabetes have been noted to later develop a more serious variant of the disease, usually Type 2, a number of measures can be taken. An increase in physical activity, weight loss, and a healthy food diet could potentially help control the evolution of the issue.
Whilst Type 1 diabetes is still the most common amongst children, as the numbers of Type 2 cases is increasing, it could come with an easier treatment if it caught on time.
Teenagers over the age of twelve are usually given a single pill to take once or twice a day, and combined with exercise and weight control, children could even come to stop needing to take the pill.
If the diabetes is discovered later or is a more severe type, it would usually imply insulin injections and blood sugar level tests several times a day.
Some of the possible signs of diabetes include an increase in appetite and thirst levels, unexplained weight loss, a decrease in the energy levels and frequent urinations.
As the best method of dealing with children and teenage diabetes is through prevention parents and the family, in general, are advised to try and lead a healthy lifestyle that would prevent weight gain, obesity and the increasingly more common diabetes.
Image Source: Wikimedia
