Is screening for type 2 diabetes worthwhile in adolescents and young adults in developing countries?

ABSTRACT

Reports of the age of diagnosis of type 2 diabetes are declining, with a paucity of information in Africa. We therefore screened young university undergraduates to determine the current status of fasting plasma glucose among adolescents and young adults in Africans living in Africa. Two hundred and thirty (230), age range 18 to 35 years, participated in the study. Mean (+SD) age was 23+6y, BMI 22.2+3.8 kg/m2, and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) 4.1+0.6 mmol/L. There was a positive but not a statistically significant correlation between BMI and FPG , but a statistically significant correlation between BMI and FPG in males but not in females. No subjects were found to have type 2 diabetes