More focus needed on young people with type 2 diabetes moving to adult care, say researchers

More focus and support needs to be given to young people with type 2 diabetes who move from child to adult services in the US, researchers have said.
A study looking at the transfer from pediatric care to an adult clinic can has revealed the impact it can have upon a young person’s health and their blood sugar control.
Location of care, the team and blood glucose targets are just some of the things that can be expected to change when a young person moves into adult diabetes services.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, wanted to see how the transition impacts their health, so they focused on 182 young adults with type 2 diabetes.
Within the group 64% were female, 87% were obese and 75% were of an ethnic minority.
The findings, published in the journal Diabetic Medicine, showed that the transference of care was linked to a higher chance of poor glycemic control, an important part of managing diabetes, irrespective of sex, age or race. The study also showed that 15% of participants reported having no care after the transition.
The researchers said: “Our study highlights the need for development of tailored clinical programmes and healthcare system policies to support the growing population of young adults with youth-onset type 2 diabetes.”
Having regular communication with your diabetes healthcare team is important in controlling diabetes and to prevent complications from developing.
With more and more young people being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, interventions are essential in order to stabilise their health. Following a low carb diet, for example, has been shown to help adults put type 2 diabetes into remissio, and the general principles of the diet, which include reducing intake of high sugar, high carb foods and drinks, can help to lower blood sugar levels and enable weight loss.