Prediabetes in Children: A Single Center Experience from Qatar

Abstract

Background: Prediabetes is a state of hyperglycemia before the onset of frank diabetes mellitus. The prevalence of prediabetes is on the increase due to the obesity epidemic. No previous studies have described the clinical, biochemical, and immunological features of children and adolescents with prediabetes from the State of Qatar. Aim: To describe our single-center experience of children with prediabetes. Method: From 2018 to 2022, we enrolled patients below 18 years of age diagnosed with prediabetes. Clinical parameters were meticulously collected, encompassing age of onset, familial history, anthropometric measurements including weight and body mass index (BMI), HbA1C levels, diabetes-associated autoantibodies (GAD65, IAA, IA2, and ZnT8), as well as Insulin and C-peptide concentrations. Prediabetes diagnosis was established using HbA1C, with a diagnostic threshold set at 5.8% Results: Our study examined the prevalence of prediabetes among 1325 diabetes patients in Qatar, revealing a 1.6% prevalence rate. Among the cohort, 60% were Qatari nationals, and a significant 95% were overweight or obese (BMI 25-40 kg/m²), emphasizing the connection between prediabetes and obesity. Obesity-related complications, such as obstructive sleep apnea and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, were common. Approximately 22.7% of patients exhibited positive antibodies, with two later developing Type 1 Diabetes. These findings stress the need for tailored interventions and monitoring for high-risk individuals to curb diabetes progression and complications. Conclusions: The primary risk factors identified for the development of Prediabetes were obesity and a familial history of diabetes. The majority of patients had grandparents affected by Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), with fewer having affected parents. Notably, 70% of patients were categorized as obese. Promoting healthy lifestyle modifications to manage obesity emerges as a pivotal strategy to mitigate the progression of Prediabetes towards full-blown diabetes in the future.