Clinical and biochemical characteristics of early onset type 2 diabetes in Kuwaiti youth

ABSTRACT

To assess clinical features and investigation results in early onset type 2 Kuwaiti diabetics. Descriptive study. Mubarak Alkabeer Hospital, Kuwait. Ninteen early onset type 2 diabetics. Clinical features and investigation results. All patients were overweight [n = 6, 16%] to obese [n = 13, 84%] at diagnosis with a mean BMI of 31.43 +/- 2.09 kg/ m2 and a mean waist circumference of 94 +/- 1.7 cm in females and 103.43 +/- 1.24 cm in males. Hypertension was reported in three cases with mean systolic blood pressure of 134.32 +/- 8.45 and mean diastolic blood pressure [DBP] of 87.05 +/- 10.34. Family history of type 2 diabetes was reported in 68.4% and maternal history of gestational diabetes in 52.6%. Ten patients [52.6%] had acanthosis nigricans. Six female patients [out of 12] had clinical features of polycystic ovary syndrome. Homeostasis model assessment was found to have strong positive correlation with BMI, waist circumference in females, triglycerides [TG] and DBP; and negative correlation with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C] and apolipoprotein A1. Similarly, high-sensitive C-reactive protein showed positive correlation with BMI, waist circumference in female and male patients, TG and DBP; and negative correlation with HDL-C. Early onset type 2 DM is increasingly recognized in Kuwait. This phenomenon is strongly associated with obesity; in particular central adiposity and chronic inflammatory states which appear early in these youngsters. Type 2 DM is frequently asymptomatic and should be considered in obese adolescents with positive family history