Features of the course of type 2 diabetes mellitus in young people

Abstract

The increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) worldwide in young people determines the high relevance in studying the course of this disease. There are difficulties in awareness of this pathology in young people, both in specialists and in patients due to the fact that the long-term outcomes of T2DM in young people are poorly understood. This leads to late diagnosis of diabetes and longer exposure to hyperglycemia leads to high risks of microand macrovascular complications. Clinical symptoms of T2DM with a debut at a young age are different in patients, so this disease is not always diagnosed on time. T2DM in young people (18–45 years) has a more aggressive course, the decrease in the level of β-cells occurs faster than in patients with late-onset T2DM. The risk of developing complications in T2DM with onset at a young age is higher than in late-onset diabetes, mainly due to the longer duration of the disease. With a duration of T2DM in young people of 13.3 ± 1.8 years it was shown that the incidence of nephropathy, neuropathy and retinopathy was 54.8%, 32.4% and 13.7%, respectively. According to the literature, in patients with T2DM at a young age, life expectancy is reduced by 14 and 16 years in males and females, respectively. The course of T2DM is more aggressive in relation to young patients than to middle-aged and elderly patients. T2DM with a debut at a young age is a socially significant disease, due to a decrease in the quality of life, the development of diabetic complications and early disability of the working population.