Diabetes is becoming more and more common among young people. Are you affected? | United Nations Diabetes Day

In our impression, diabetes and hypertension are exclusive to the elderly, but nowadays diabetes is becoming younger and younger.

In the news, we often see events such as "24-year-old boy diagnosed with diabetes". On social media, discussions about "young people being dragged down by diabetes" are endless, and many people resonate with them.

Sub-heading: Diabetes is becoming younger

In recent years, there are more and more young people with diabetes in China. According to the Global Burden of Disease Database, from 2010 to 2019, the prevalence of diabetes in people aged 20-35 in China increased significantly, with 142 male patients per 100,000 people in the past decade and 33.7 female patients. Regardless of gender, there are more young people with diabetes.

According to a set of survey results published in the British Medical Journal, in my country, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among people aged 18 to 29 has reached 2%, and among people aged 30 to 39 has reached 6.3%.

According to the "Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes in China (2020 Edition)", the prevalence of diabetes in my country has continued to rise over the past 40 years, reaching 11.2% among people aged 18 and above, and the prevalence of diabetes among adolescents has also been increasing.

But the younger age of diabetes does not just mean that there are more young people with diabetes. The average age of diabetes patients is also decreasing.

According to a data analysis of more than 2 million people in Beijing by researchers at the Peking University School of Public Health, the average age of diabetes in Beijing has advanced from 62 in 2007 to 56 in 2018. Moreover, the study also found that among young and middle-aged people under the age of 40, the prevalence of diabetes has increased from 3% to 10.9%, a three-fold increase.

In fact, high blood sugar affects more and more people not only in China, but also around the world. At present, the global prevalence of diabetes has reached 6.1%, making diabetes one of the top ten causes of death and disability in humans.

Globally, the trend of younger diabetes cases is also obvious. A study published in the British Medical Journal in 2022 found that the incidence of type 2 diabetes in people aged 15-39 worldwide increased from 117.22 patients per 100,000 people to 183.36 patients per 100,000 people in 30 years.

It can be said that young people all over the world are now trembling under the threat of diabetes.

Sub-title: Why does diabetes affect young people?

Currently, diabetes is mainly divided into four types: type 1, type 2, gestational diabetes, and special types of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes accounts for only 5% to 10% of patients, while type 2 accounts for about 90%.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the patient's immune system attacks and destroys pancreatic islet cells, resulting in a lack of insulin secretion. It usually develops in childhood or adolescence, and patients need to rely on exogenous insulin for treatment. Type 2 diabetes is a metabolic disorder caused by insulin resistance and impaired pancreatic function, which mainly occurs in adults. The patient's insulin secretion is normal or increased, but the cells do not respond enough to insulin, so blood sugar is difficult to effectively control. Lifestyle adjustments and drug treatment are the main means of managing type 2 diabetes.

The pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes is very complex and is related to many factors such as genetic factors, improper diet, lack of exercise, obesity, sleep and mental stress, smoking, alcoholism, etc. However, for young people today, changes in lifestyle and dietary structure are the root causes.

Milk tea in the morning, fried chicken in the afternoon, hot pot in the evening. As people eat better and better, various health problems naturally come to them. Especially in recent years, milk tea and other popular foods have caused young people to consume excessive amounts of sugar without realizing it.

In addition to eating too much greasy food, too much sugar, and a higher proportion of processed foods, contemporary young people are also more susceptible to various chronic diseases due to high work and life pressures, irregular day and night routines, etc.

Especially young people who often stay up late increase the possibility of diabetes. "Drinking the strongest coffee and staying up late" allows young people to take a break from the tense pace of life, but it also quietly increases the incidence of diabetes.

In addition, lack of physical activity also makes young people more unhealthy. Lack of exercise increases the possibility of young people being overweight, and obesity is a high-risk factor for diabetes.

In fact, social environmental factors such as bad eating habits, unhealthy lifestyle, lack of exercise, etc. are not only the root cause of the increasing prevalence of diabetes among young people today, but are also causing related diseases such as hypertension, stroke, gout, breast cancer, etc. to become younger.

However, it is worth noting that although the prevalence of diseases among young people is increasing, young people's awareness and understanding of various chronic diseases is far from enough. Moreover, the early concealment of chronic diseases also makes it easier for young people to ignore their existence. Although the prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes among young people in my country is increasing year by year, most patients are unaware of it before more serious complications occur.

In the fast-paced modern life, young people are facing more and more health problems. In addition to trying to eat healthy, exercise more, and sleep well, we should also be vigilant and pay more attention to our health. After all, various "old age diseases" have quietly come to us.

https://www.healthdata.org/news-events/newsroom/news-releases/global-diabetes-cases-soar-529-million-13-billion-2050

Liu, J., Liu, M., Chai, Z., Li, C., Wang, Y., Shen, M., ... & Zhang, L. (2023). Projected rapid growth in diabetes disease burden and economic burden in China: a spatio-temporal study from 2020 to 2030. The Lancet Regional Health–Western Pacific, 33.

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The article is produced by Science Popularization China-Creation Cultivation Program. Please indicate the source when reprinting.
Author: Hydra Science Author

Reviewer: Tang Qin, Director of the Science Popularization Department of the Chinese Medical Association, National Health Science Popularization Expert