Update on Youth-Onset Type 2 Diabetes: Lessons Learned from the Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth Clinical Trial

Current Perspectives for Treating Adolescents with Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes: A Review

Background: Childhood obesity is an epidemic and a significant health concern all over the world. Several factors can influence excess weight gain, including eating behaviors, physical inactivity, and genetics. Children and adolescents with obesity have a four-times greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) compared with their normal-weight peers. The management of obesity before the development of its comorbidities may prevent its escalation into significant medical and psychosocial problems. However, treatment options for obesity and T2D in youth remained limited for many years, and moreover, available drugs were characterized by low efficacy. The Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) study showed that metformin in monotherapy failed in almost 52% of children with T2D, while adjuncts to rosiglitazone and lifestyle intervention failed in 38.6% and 46.6%, respectively. Recently approved antiobesity medications and/or bariatric surgery are revolutionizing the management of adolescents with obesity and T2D. This work aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current treatment possibilities for childhood obesity and T2D. Methods: An in-depth review of articles with evidence-based research from different countries discussing novel management options for adolescents with obesity and/or T2D was conducted in this review paper. Results: The new medications, such as SGLT2 receptor agonists and GLP-1 agonists, are highly effective in treating T2D in adolescents with obesity. Conclusions: Based on the performed literature review, the recent approval of a novel generation of drugs seems to be the dawn of a new era in childhood obesity and T2D treatment.

Quality improvement efforts in a safety net institution: Increased diabetes screening is associated with lower HbA1c at diagnosis and improved HbA1c outcomes in youth with type 2 diabetes

OBJECTIVES

Evaluate whether increased diabetes screening in youth is associated with lower HbA1c at T2D diagnosis and improved HbA1c outcomes in youth.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Diabetes screening rates from 2009 to 2018 were calculated. Electronic medical records identified obese youth ages 8-18 with first HbA1c ≥6.5% from 2009 to 2018; chart review confirmed incident T2D. Demographics, BMI and HbA1c values, and use of glucometer and diabetes medications were collected.

RESULTS

142 youth had T2D. Median age was 14 years (range 8-18); 58% were female. 46% were identified on first HbA1c testing. 69 (49%) had 1st HbA1c 6.5%-6.9%, 43 (30%) 7.0%-7.9%, and 30 (21%) ≥8%. Follow-up from 1st to last HbA1c was median 2.6 years (range 0-10). 121 youth had follow-up testing ≥1 year after diagnosis; of these, 87 (72%) had persistent T2D-range HbA1c or were taking diabetes medications. 85% of youth with 1st HbA1c ≥7% had persistent T2D versus 52% of those with 1st HbA1c <7% (p < 0.001). Poorly controlled diabetes at last test was present in 19% of youth with baseline HbA1c 6.5%-6.9%, 30% with 7.0%-7.9%, and 63% with ≥8% (p < 0.001). 47 (68%) with HbA1c <7% were prescribed a glucometer; 9% of youth prescribed a meter and 41% of youth not prescribed a meter had poorly controlled diabetes at last test (p = 0.009).

CONCLUSIONS

Youth with HbA1c <7% at diagnosis were less likely to have poorly controlled diabetes at follow-up. Prescription of glucometers for youth with HbA1c in this range was associated with improved HbA1c outcomes and deserves further study including components of glucometer teaching.

Pediatric Diabetic Retinopathy: Updates in Prevalence, Risk Factors, Screening, and Management

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus and a major cause of vision loss worldwide. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in youth, discuss risk factors, and review recent advances in diabetic retinopathy screening.

RECENT FINDINGS

While DR has long been considered a microvascular complication, recent data suggests that retinal neurodegeneration may precede the vascular changes associated with DR. The prevalence of DR has decreased in type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients following the results of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial and implementation of intensive insulin therapy, with prevalence ranging from 14-20% before the year 2000 to 3.7-6% after 2000. In contrast, the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in pediatric type 2 diabetes (T2D) is higher, ranging from 9.1-50%. Risk factors for diabetic retinopathy are well established and include glycemic control, diabetes duration, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia, whereas diabetes technology use including insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors has been shown to have protective effects. Screening for DR is recommended for youth with T1D once they are aged ≥ 11 years or puberty has started and diabetes duration of 3-5 years. Pediatric T2D patients are advised to undergo screening at or soon after diagnosis, and annually thereafter, due to the insidious nature of T2D. Recent advances in DR screening methods including point of care and artificial intelligence technology have increased access to DR screening, while being cost-saving to patients and cost-effective to healthcare systems. While the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in youth with T1D has been declining over the last few decades, there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of DR in youth with T2D. Improving access to diabetic retinopathy screening using novel screening methods may help improve detection and early treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

Progress in understanding youth-onset type 2 diabetes in the United States: recent lessons from clinical trials

BACKGROUND

Due to the dramatic increase in the rates of childhood obesity and youth-onset type 2 diabetes (T2D) in the late 1990s in the United States, the US government, through the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive Disease, and Kidney (NIDDK) and the Centers for Disease Control, funded a series of large studies and trials which, together, have formed the basis for much of what we currently understand about youth-onset T2D.

DATA SOURCES

The review focus on the recent results and implications of the treatment options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) study and the Restoring Insulin Secretion (RISE) study.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Both TODAY and RISE studies have provided critical insight into the unique aspects of the pathophysiology of youth-onset type 2 diabetes and also provided the evidence base for our current approach to the management of this disorder.

Glycemic control and lipid outcomes in children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND

The incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in children has increased dramatically. However, limited published information is known about the glycemic control and lipid outcomes in pediatric T2DM outside of clinical trials.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the glycemic control and lipid measure outcomes at one and three- year follow-up in children with T2DM.

METHODS

A retrospective electronic medical record review of children with T2DM at the Children's Hospital of Alabama over a 12-year period.

RESULTS

There were 301 patients with a diagnosis of T2DM who had a 1-year follow-up visit, of which 184 also had a 3-year follow-up. Most patients (78%) received either insulin with metformin or insulin alone at diagnosis. At one year, 37% of the cohort achieved 'optimal glycemic control' (HbA1C ≤6.5%) and 58% of patients achieved durable glycemic control (HbA1C ≤8%). Optimal glycemic control was seen in 48 patients at 3 years. The patients treated with insulin (alone or in combination with metformin) tended to have higher HbA1C at diagnosis, but had improved lipid and glycemic outcomes at follow-up. The group treated with insulin along with metformin had significant improvements in non-HDL, HDL and TC/HDL ratios. The effects of insulin treatment on glycemic control at 3 years were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

With the current modality of treatment, only a minority of patients achieve optimal glycemic control at 1 and 3 years of follow-up. Studies are warranted to further elucidate the optimal therapies in the management of pediatric T2DM.