What can we do as prevalence of diabetes steadily increases?
Over the course of my career as a pediatric endocrinologist, I've watched the incidence of diabetes among children steadily rise. Recent research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projects more than half a million people could be living with diabetes by 2060. And while that number is staggering, the research included data from 2002-2017, which means the COVID-19 pandemic years were not included. That estimate may be too low.
One of the longitudinal outcomes of the pandemic was an exponential increase in diabetes across all ages. Quarantining contributed to sedentary lifestyles and decreased consumption of fresh, healthy food, and fears of COVID caused many individuals, children and adolescents included, to fall behind on routine medical care. These factors contributed to an exponential increase in diabetes cases in 2020 and 2021.
The burden of diabetes is great in many ways. Financially, in the U.S., about $1 out of every $4 is spent caring for those with diabetes, and annually, we spend about $237 billion dollars on direct medical costs. Emotionally, the burden of chronic diseases like diabetes in children and families is grave; children with chronic disease are more likely to experience anxiety and depression than their counterparts.
The largest increasing incidence of diabetes is among children and adolescents with Type 2 diabetes. The increase is causing significant economic and racial disparities in health care, as the individuals developing Type 2 diabetes at a rapid rate tend to be non-Hispanic Black youth. Diabetes on its own is a difficult disease, but dangerous complications can also result, including cardiovascular disease. And the younger an individual has new onset diabetes, the greater their chance of developing complications throughout the course of their life.
Some of our efforts should be targeted toward preventing and treating obesity, the major risk factor of Type 2 diabetes. Understanding what is in your food and where it comes from is a small step we can all take. Don't just look at calories — check labels to see what a serving size is. Can you pronounce the ingredients in your food? If you can't, should you be eating it? So many food products available in the U.S. are banned overseas. Why is it different here? This is one of the reasons it can be so difficult for us as a population to avoid unhealthy weight gain.
There are also several genetic factors that can cause weight gain in families. There can be treatment options available for children, so seeing a doctor for evaluation is important. Prevention can work, but treatment is also important.
It will take us all working together to make changes for the sake of our children. The overall goal is to help prevent diabetes, when feasible, and reduce the burden of this chronic disease.
• Children's health is a continuing series. This week's column was submitted by Advocate Children's Hospital. For more information, visit www.advocateaurorahealth.org.