Prediabetes prevalent in U.S. adolescents, young adults

The prevalence of prediabetes is high in U.S. adolescents and young adults, according to a study published online Dec. 2 in JAMA Pediatrics.

Linda J. Andes, Ph.D., from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, and colleagues examined the prevalence of prediabetes (defined as having impaired fasting glucose, impaired glucose tolerance, or increased glycated hemoglobin levels) in U.S. adolescents and young adults. Data were included for 2,606 adolescents (aged 12 to 18 years) and 3,180 young adults (aged 19 to 34 years) without diabetes.

The researchers found that the prevalence of prediabetes was 18.0 and 24.0 percent among adolescents and young adults, respectively. The largest proportion of prediabetes was constituted by impaired fasting glucose, with a prevalence of 11.1 and 15.8 percent in adolescents and young adults, respectively. The predictive marginal prevalence of prediabetes was significantly higher in men than women (22.5 versus 13.4 percent in adolescents; 29.1 versus 18.8 percent in young adults) in multivariable models. The prevalence of prediabetes was significantly higher in individuals with obesity versus those with normal weight (25.7 versus 16.4 percent for adolescents; 36.9 versus 16.6 percent for young adults).

"These findings together with the observed increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes in U.S. adolescents and in diabetes-related complications in young adults highlight the need for primary and secondary prevention efforts tailored to the young segment of the U.S. population," the authors write.