3-Year-Old Diagnosed With Type 2 Diabetes Highlights 'Global Problem'

A three-year-old girl has been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, her medical status becoming a topic of discussion at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes' annual meeting this week.

The American toddler may be the youngest child - or one of the youngest - to ever be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, a condition often linked to overweight and obesity.

According to Michael Yafi, director of pediatric endocrinology at the University of Texas, he has never seen a child this young be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.

"I'm sure there probably are others but they are either undiagnosed or not reported yet," Yafi told Reuters.

Early diagnosis can reverse the disease

The young girl had a starting weight of 77 pounds and a body mass index in the top 5 percent for children her age.

She was treated at Yafi's Houston medical center, where she was given a liquid form of diabetes drug metformin.

Within six months, she had lost weight and was able to stop taking medication - which suggests that type 2 diabetes in children can be cured if they are diagnosed and treated early, Yafi said.

"This is a global problem," Yafi said. "Type 2 diabetes is no longer limited to adults. Now when I see any obese child I screen the patient for type 2 diabetes."

Source: Reuters

Image courtesy of nenovbrothers/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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