The clinical workforce caring for emerging adults with diabetes in New Zealand is under resourced.

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic disorders in emerging adults (15-25 years of age), and the prevalence of both type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in New Zealand continues to increase in this age group. Tight glycaemic control in both T1D and T2D is well known to reduce diabetic microvascular and macrovascular complications and improve survival. However, in New Zealand and worldwide, emerging adulthood is typically the period of worst glycaemic control in the lifespan due to the high prevalence of psychosocial stressors and increased insulin resistance of puberty and risk-taking behaviours. In addition, the glycaemic control of emerging adults with diabetes in New Zealand often deteriorates due to the loss of support from family and friends from moving regions, the failure of support from paediatric services to extend to emerging adulthood and the loss of public funding for insulin pump therapy as glycaemic targets are no longer met. Given the high prevalence of psychosocial stressors and the loss of support, the International Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Diabetes's (ISPAD's) guidelines recommend that emerging adults with diabetes receive ambulatory care from a dedicated multidisciplinary team consisting of 0.75 full time equivalent (FTE)/100 patients of an endocrinologist, 1-1.25 FTE/100 patients of a diabetes nurse specialist, 0.5 FTE/100 patients of a dietitian, 0.3 FTE/100 patients of a psychologist and 0.3 FTE/100 patients of a social worker or youth worker.

The prevalence of microvascular complications in Waikato children and youth with type 1 diabetes has reduced since 2003.

AIMS: To determine whether glycaemic control and the prevalence of microvascular complications in Waikato children/youth with type 1 diabetes (T1D) has changed since 2003. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of clinical records of children and youth with T1D who were under the care of the Waikato Paediatric and Young Adult Diabetes Services between March 2016 and March 2017. Comparisons were made to published data from the same service in 2003. RESULTS: Despite a more than two-fold increase in insulin-pump therapy since 2003, glycaemic control was not significantly improved in either children or youth. However, since 2003 there has been a significant reduction in the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (24.6% vs 6.0%; P=0.003) and nephropathy (6.0% vs 25.4%; P=0.002), while symptomatic diabetic neuropathy remains rare. This reduction occurred despite a significant increase in obesity and hypertension, and no significant difference in the rates of dyslipidaemia or smoking. CONCLUSIONS: There has been a marked reduction in microvascular complications in Waikato youth and young adults with type 1 diabetes, but the reasons for the reduction are not clear given there has been no significant improvements in glycaemic control.