The rising rates of obesity in youth have concurrently led to an increase in the rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in this age group. However, there are limited data on the efficacy of different antidiabetic agents in youth. In this context, the Treatment Options for Type 2 Diabetes in Adolescents and Youth trial recently reported that the majority of obese children and adolescents 10-17-years old with newly diagnosed T2DM (T2DM duration less than 2 years) could not achieve HbA1c levels < 8% for more than 1 year with metformin monotherapy, metformin plus rosiglitazone combination, or metformin and lifestyle changes. These findings suggest that, in the majority of youth with T2DM, tight long-term glycemic control with oral agents is an elusive goal and that most patients will require treatment with insulin within a few years of diagnosis to achieve HbA1c targets and reduce the risk of macro- and microvascular complications. Therefore, reducing the incidence of T2DM by preventing pediatric obesity through the implementation of lifestyle changes in the community should be the primary objective of healthcare systems.
Keywords: Insulin; Lifestyle changes; Metformin; Rosiglitazone; Type 2 diabetes mellitus.