Clinical and aetiological profile of early onset diabetes mellitus: data from a tertiary care centre in the Indian subcontinent.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) in youth is emerging as a serious clinical entity and its incidence has increased over the years. AIM: To analyse the causes of DM in the age group of <40 years of age. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Tertiary care centre; retrospective analysis of data from January 1990 to December 1999. SUBJECTS AND MATERIAL: Analysis of data of all the subjects of DM in whom disease started before the 40th birthday. RESULTS: 724 subjects were detected to have diabetes mellitus before their 40th birthday. Of these, 205 had Type 1, 174 had Type 2 and 48 had fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes. Males outnumbered in Type 1 and fibrocalculous pancreatic diabetes while as females in Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Chronic complications were more common in Type 2 diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSION: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is becoming an important cause of diabetes in subjects with onset of disease at younger age.