Diabetes mellitus is a chronic and potentially life-threatening condition in which the body either fails to produce insulin or is unable to use it effectively. Individuals with type 1 diabetes require regular insulin administration, while some people with type 2 diabetes may also need insulin therapy. However, many patients with type 2 diabetes can manage the condition through a balanced diet, regular physical activity, and routine monitoring of blood glucose levels.
Diabetes is often understood only as a condition of high blood sugar, but uncontrolled hyperglycemia can lead to serious complications such as heart disease, blindness, kidney failure, and in severe cases, limb amputation. It also increases susceptibility to infections. Maintaining blood glucose levels close to normal can significantly delay or prevent such complications.
Rising Burden of Type 2 Diabetes in Youth
Traditionally, diabetes in children and adolescents was primarily type 1. However, type 2 diabetes is increasingly being diagnosed in younger populations due to rising obesity rates and sedentary lifestyles.
Youth-onset type 2 diabetes is associated with a higher lifetime risk of complications, including cardiovascular disease and kidney damage. It often progresses more aggressively than adult-onset diabetes. Common clinical indicators include obesity, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and acanthosis nigricans (dark, velvety skin patches).
