HHS HealthBeat (August 21, 2007)

Kids with diabetes

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

A study says close to 19,000 children are diagnosed each year with diabetes. Most cases are type 1, when the body can’t make enough insulin. The rest are type 2, when the body can’t properly use insulin.

The report says type 1 is especially common among non-Hispanic white youngsters. Type 2 is frequent among minority adolescents.

Dr. Dana Dabelea of the University of Colorado School of Medicine:

``Type 2 diabetes used to be called adult-onset diabetes, and did not used to occur in children. However, we are now seeing type 2 diabetes at younger and younger ages.’’ (11 seconds)

Proper eating and regular exercise can help to prevent it.

The study in the Journal of the American Medical Association was supported by the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: August, 21 2007