TYPE 1 & TYPE 2 DIABETES TOGETHER

According to Professsor Francine Kaufman, Director of the Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism at The Childrens Hospital, Los Angeles, California there now exists an increase in the onset of both T1DM and Type 2 Diabetes in children. What is unusal, is that both diseases exists together in the same child. Type 2 is for the most part obesity related and can be "prevented" with good and healthy Lifestyle habits. Here is a copy of the article which I hope you will find interesting.'Double diabetes' appearing in kids

[Posted: Mon 29/05/2006]

When a child or teenager develops diabetes, it is relatively easy for doctors to distinguish whether they have type 1 or type 2. However new research has found that some young people have elements of both kinds of the condition - a phenomenon known as 'double' or 'hybrid' diabetes.

Current figures show that both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are on the increase in children and teenagers. The overall prevalence of type 1 diabetes among children under 15 is increasing by over 3% every year, while in children under the age of four, it is increasing by more than 6% a year.

Meanwhile, over the last 10 - 15 years, there has been a increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes in young people worldwide. This has largely been obesity-driven.

Writing in the International Diabetes Federation's magazine, Diabetes Voice, diabetes expert, Professor Francine Kaufman, said that while it is usually easy to determine what type of diabetes a young person has, 'in some instances, it is not quite so clear'.



While there are a number of differences between the two types of diabetes, Professor Kaufman pointed out that with type 1, the 'hallmark' is the presence of antibodies which attack the insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells.

The hallmark of type 2 meanwhile is the combination of insensitivity to insulin and the body's continuing ability to make the hormone, although not enough to overcome the body's insensitivity to the action of insulin.

"Double diabetes suggests that elements of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes co-exist in the same person...Blurring the issue further is the fact that people with type 1 have family members with type 2 and vice versa. This means that a considerable number of people may be at genetic risk for both kinds of diabetes", Professor Kaufman said.

She pointed out that at the time of diagnosis, the doctor should of course attempt to determine which type of diabetes is present. However if the type cannot be determined initially, 'the young person should be started on insulin therapy while waiting for test results that hopefully will clarify the situation'.

For people with double diabetes, it is likely that they will need both insulin and oral diabetes medication, she said.

"We need to learn more about this relatively newly recognised condition. Since the emergence of double diabetes seems to be linked to the epidemic of obesity in young people, our focus should be on how to prevent childhood obesity as a primary means of reducing the emergence of this potentially devastating condition", she added.

Professor Kaurfman is the head of the Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism at the Childrens Hospital, Los Angeles, California.