Abstract
Aims. To assess morbidity among young people with diabetes presenting to a regional hospital in Northern Australia and compare the risk of complications among those living with type 2 diabetes (T2D) versus type 1 diabetes (T1D). Materials and Methods. A cross‐sectional study of young people with T1D or T2D (diagnosed age 1–25 years) presenting to a regional Northern Australian hospital with any condition from 2015 to 2019. Demographics, cardiometabolic comorbidities, and diabetes‐related complications were collected from individual medical records and compared between those with T1D and T2D. Results. Among 357 young people (192 had T2D, 165 T1D), the mean age was 22 years, the mean duration of diabetes was 6.7 years, 52% were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, and 28% lived remotely. Cardiometabolic comorbidities (obesity, hypertension, and dyslipidaemia) and diabetes‐related complications (microalbuminuria, amputation, and elevated non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease score) were more prevalent in those with T2D compared to T1D, despite shorter disease duration and lower median HbA1c. When adjusted for age, sex, and BMI, the odds ratio (95% CI) for microalbuminuria was 4.8 (1.83–12.8) with T2D compared to T1D. Conclusion. In a cohort of young people with diabetes in Northern Australia, the prevalence of diabetes‐related complications was higher among those with T2D than T1D.