Type 2 diabetes among young people aged 10 to 19 has more than doubled over the past two decades
It is estimated that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in youth will increase by 700 per cent by the year 2060. Photo: iStock
A new study by United States researchers has offered an alternative method to predict the onset of diabetes in youth, especially those aged between 15 to 19.
Scientists at the University of Oklahoma have found that measuring the levels of certain circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in the body is as effective as the Hemoglobin A1C test (popularly known as HbA1c), among the most popular diagnostic methods available.
The study , published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, highlights that the identified miRNAs induce stress on beta cells, resulting in their death. These same miRNAs are also involved in metabolic processes involved in insulin resistance.
The findings are of immense relevance to health experts as physicians still struggle to predict which individuals will develop diabetes and whether the patients will respond positively to treatment.
At present, the miRNAs measurement is limited to research settings, but future clinical applications are feasible. The findings not only enhance predictive capabilities but also offer a deeper understanding of the biochemical mechanisms involved in Type 2 diabetes onset, which is essential for designing preventive strategies.
Samples for this study were derived from another study titled Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) — a significant clinical trial that began in 2003 and concluded in 2020. The trial was a pioneering research project and the biggest such initiative so far to assess available clinical treatments for Type 2 diabetes among youth.
In the TODAY study, it was found that using a combination of specific miRNAs was better at predicting treatment failure than using individual miRNAs alone.
This combination was just as good at predicting treatment failure as traditional blood sugar measurements. For example, changes in fasting blood sugar levels during the first year of the study had a predictive accuracy of 0.7, while initial HbA1c levels had an accuracy of 0.66, and the miRNA combination also had an accuracy of 0.7.
Silent killer getting loud
The incidence of type 2 diabetes in youth has risen dramatically in the past 20 years. The SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study has reported that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in youth (10-19 years) has more than doubled between 2002 and 2018 with an annual increase in cases of 5.3 per cent per year.
In fact, the incidence of type 2 diabetes in youth between the ages of 15 and 19 years now exceeds that of type 1 diabetes. It is estimated that the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in youth will increase by 700 per cent by the year 2060.
A sedentary lifestyle and consumption of junk food are primarily to blame for the rise in the disease among youth.
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