Demographics & Statistics
Juvenile diabetes, also referred to as Type 2 diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, describes a health condition associated with the pancreas’s limited insulin production (Bimstein et al., 2019). Insulin is a vital hormone the human body needs to facilitate glucose entry into cells to generate energy. The condition is characterized by the destruction of the cells that make insulin in the pancreas.
According to latest estimate, 34.2 million Americans have diabetes, representing 10.5% of the country’s population (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC], 2020). About 26.9 million individuals were diagnosed with the condition, including adults. About one in 500 Americans have juvenile diabetes, while approximately 80 people are diagnosed with the disorder each day (CDC, 2020). About 5 percent of individuals who have a family member (parent or sibling) this condition are likely to develop it (CDC, 2020). Eighty-eight million people were prediabetes, representing 1 out of 3 people. Prediabetes is a precursor to full-blown diabetes, but the condition has less severe signs and symptoms.
Risk Factors
The most common risk factor for juvenile diabetes is age. Juvenile diabetes is a health condition that is more common in children and young people who are under 20 years (Bimstein et al., 2019). Although Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and adolescents, the condition can also develop in adults. The common appearance during childhood or adolescence explains why the condition is referred to juvenile diabetes. Furthermore, juvenile diabetes has been described as a hereditary health condition. This point implies that a diabetic person has a parent, sibling, or family members who have juvenile diabetes. The genetic makeup of diabetic patients predisposes their family members to the condition. Other risk factors include having traveling away from the equator and being white (Bimstein et al., 2019).
References
Bimstein, E., Zangen, D., Abedrahim, W., & Katz, J. (2019). Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (juvenile diabetes)–A review for the pediatric oral health provider. Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry, 43(6), 417-423.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020). National diabetes statistics report.