Non-ketotic diabetes in Saudi Arabian youths: MODY or early onset of type 2 diabetes?

Abstract

Background: Non-ketotic diabetes mellitus is commonly seen in young Saudi Arabian adults. This could be either earlyonset of typical type 2 diabetes, T2DM or maturity-onset diabetes of the young, MODY. Consanguinity is also prevalent andclouds the inheritance pattern of the disease. Distinction between the two on clinical grounds alone is not always possible.Materials and Method: Diabetic patients aged \U00100064 25 years with family history of the disease who had maintained reasonableglycaemic control with diet and/or oral hypoglycaemic agents for at least two years were studied. Demographic data,presentation details and clinical course were analyzed for classification of patients as possible cases of MODY, usinggenerally accepted criteria. Results: Twenty three patients with diabetes through three consecutive generations wereidentified as possible cases of MODY from a clinic population of about 200. However, they could also have been early onsetcases of T2DM, and differentiation between the two could not be made with certainty without further tests. Conclusion:More studies including genetic testing would be needed to differentiate between early onset T2DM and MODY, according tothe current WHO classification. Since most developing countries among which the increasing burden of DM lies cannot dothis, there is a need to review the current classification of diabetes. (Int J Diabetes Metab 15:60-61, 2007)