How is type 2 diabetes among youth managed? Elizabeth Tracey reports

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Many more US kids have developed type 2 diabetes during the pandemic, research by Johns Hopkins pediatric endocrinology expert Sheela Magge and colleagues has shown. Magge says getting the condition under control is paramount.

Magge: If children are presenting relatively mildly we can start with oral medications. The first line treatment is always lifestyle, exercise, nutrition, but when kids present sicker, we often want to start them on insulin. And they are hospitalized for insulin administration and teaching, because it involves a whole change in lifestyle, right? They need to learn how to count carbohydrates, how to eat more nutritious foods, and it’s an adjustment for the entire family.  :29

Magge says it’s unknown if weight loss, increased physical activity and dietary changes can reverse the condition in children, especially if they are severely impacted, but says these are cornerstones to diabetes management. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.