Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Children and Adolescents: An update

Abstract

Childhood type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) has increasingly been reported worldwide. It is commonly associated with childhood obesity.It may be presented with classical manifestation of DM such as polyuria, polydipsia, weight lossor acute complications like Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar State (HHS) or features of insulin resistance syndrome. Many a cases it may remain asymptomatic and hence undiagnosed.So,overweight children and adolescents who met screening criteria such as family history of type 2 DM, signs of insulin resistance, and high risk ethnics should undergo screening. Emphasis should be given on early diagnosis and optimum management plan to avoid grave consequences of it in early part of life. Diagnosis of type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in children should be done on the basis of standard diagnostic criteria such as American Diabetic Association (ADA) criteria. Both non-pharmacological and drug management are important equally. Multidisciplinary team approach including self-management plan is mandatory for obtaining optimal therapeutic goals of type 2 DM in children and adolescents. Lifestyle modification, dietary intervention, weight reduction, patient education, psychological support, and oral anti diabetic drugs and insulin therapy should be included in comprehensive diabetic management plan. Complications of type 2 DM should be minimized by all means with strict glycemic control and management of co-morbidity if any. Emphasis should also be given on prevention of type 2 DM by adopting a healthy lifestyle characterized by healthy eating behavior, regular physical activity and subsequent modest weight loss that can prevent the progression of impaired glucose tolerance to clinical diabetes mellitus.J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2017; 35(1): 24-30