Already faced with a troubling rise of adult diabetes in children, doctors are now finding increasing incidences of "double diabetes"—children with symptoms of both forms of the disease.
About 18 million Americans have either type 1 or type 2 diabetes, and until recently, the two types—one caused by bad genes, the other by bad habits—seldom overlapped. But with the growing rise of childhood obesity, researchers are now finding that many kids are showing signs of both.
"Differentiating between the types of diabetes is becoming increasingly challenging," said Dr. Dorothy Becker, a diabetes expert at the University of Pittsburgh.
Double Trouble
In type 1 diabetes, which is usually diagnosed in children, the body has trouble making insulin. These children need constant monitoring of their blood sugar and insulin injections to keep levels in check. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is more common in overweight adults, when the body often develops a resistance to insulin. This form of the disease is controlled with medication, physical activity and weight loss.
The incidence of type 2 diabetes has been on the rise, most notably in obese children, but type 1 is also increasing. As children's waistlines grow, the health repercussions are being seen earlier and in more complicated manners.
Researchers first noted overlapping diabetes symptoms in a 2003 study, published in Diabetes Care, where an equal mix of African-American and Caucasian children diagnosed with diabetes.
Copyright 2009 NBC Health
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