Complications Are More Common in Teens and Young Adults with Type 2 Than Type 1 Diabetes

With a growing number of children with type 2 diabetes, clinicians need more information about its natural history and complications. In a prospective observational study at five U.S. sites, researchers examined the prevalence of complications at least 5 years after diagnosis in 1746 patients with type 1 diabetes and 272 with type 2 diabetes diagnosed before age 20 years. Six diabetes-related complications were evaluated: kidney disease, retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy, cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy, arterial stiffness, and hypertension.

At the outcome visit a mean of 7.9 years after diagnosis, patients with type 1 diabetes were older (mean age, 22.1 vs. 17.9 years), and patients with type 2 diabetes had higher body-mass index and m…