Increase in diabetes in children

More and more young people are suffering from diabetes

13/11/2014

The number of new cases of diabetes has increased dramatically in recent years, and more and more young people are affected, warn professional associations such as the German Diabetes Aid on the occasion of tomorrow's World Diabetes Day. „Currently, more than six million people in Germany suffer from diabetes mellitus“, so the message of the German Diabetes-Hilfe.

The current figures for the development of diabetes in Germany are in the „German health report Diabetes 2015“ In cooperation with experts from the German Diabetes Association (DDG) and the Association of Diabetes Counseling and Training Professions (VDBD), German Diabetes Aid presented to the public on the occasion of World Diabetes Day. It can be seen that „badly adjusted blood sugar in this country every year to 40,000 amputations and 2,000 new blinds“ caused, according to the message of the German Diabetes Help. In addition, every year another 2,300 people were forced to live a life on dialysis due to the metabolic disease.

Type 1 diabetes disorders unrelated to lifestyle
Much of the diabetes illnesses are cases of type 2 diabetes (so-called old-age diabetes), whereby - due to the connection with the age - in the course of the demographic change a clear increase of the illnesses is expected. But not only the type 2 diabetes illnesses increase, also with type 1 diabetes an increase of the new illnesses is to be noted. It increasingly affects young people. In contrast to type 2 diabetes, in type 1 diabetes there is no correlation between the onset of the disease and the lifestyle of those affected. While unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and obesity are considered clear risk factors for type 2 diabetes, they play no role in type 1 diabetes. Rather, it is due to misdirected immune system reactions that destroy the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. This results in an absolute insulin deficiency and the body can no longer metabolize the blood sugar.

Increasingly young people affected by diabetes
In Austria has become „the number of new cases of type 1 diabetes has doubled in the last 15 years“, quotes the „Small newspaper“ the diabetes expert, Thomas Pieber from the LKH University Hospital Graz. According to the doctor, the diabetics are getting younger and younger. „In the past, the typical age of the diagnosis of the disease was 14 to 15 years, today it is more likely to be 8 to 10 years“, Beep of the „Little newspaper“ cited. Since untreated diabetes can lead to long-term serious health problems such as kidney damage, arteriosclerosis, blindness and required leg amputations, in case of doubt, early control of blood sugar should be carried out. Not least, diabetes also increases the risk of potentially fatal cardiovascular disease (eg heart attack or stroke). Therefore, according to the expert, children and adolescents should also be aware of classic symptoms such as severe thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, poor performance and poorly healing wounds.

Causes of the increase in new cases unclear
While in type 2 diabetes unhealthy lifestyles and the aging population are responsible for the increase in disease, the causes of the increased incidence of type 1 diabetes are largely unclear. Here, among other things, a connection with the increased pollution levels is discussed, but also exaggerated hygiene could, according to some physicians, be responsible for the misguided immune response. In addition, a lack of vitamin D, which is formed by sunlight in the body, and viral diseases as possible causes of type 1 diabetes in the discussion, reports the Austrian diabetes expert Pieper. (Fp)