Type 2 Diabetes in Youth: Epidemiology and Current Research toward Prevention and Treatment

Type 2 diabetes mellitus has emerged as a diagnosis among adolescents in the United States, particularly among minority groups and concurrent with the well-documented epidemic of overweight and obesity. Opportunities for prevention of type 2 diabetes and approaches to optimized treatment regimens for adolescents with the disease have drawn largely from studies conducted in adult populations. Recognizing that much work remains to be done, this review summarizes key findings from recent research and highlights recent findings from large, ongoing studies of youth that address the prevalence and incidence of type 2 diabetes in young people, the prevalence of complications among this group, and the current knowledge base that informs opportunities for prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes in adolescents.