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Treatment of impaired glucose tolerance in childhood

Nature Clinical Practice Endocrinology & Metabolism volume 4, pages 320–321 (2008)Cite this article

The relentless rise in the prevalence of childhood obesity has changed the face of pediatric diabetes over the past decade. Previously seen only rarely in the pediatric population, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has now become increasingly common among obese adolescents. Particularly disconcerting are the high prevalence rates of T2DM in African American and Hispanic children and adolescents.1 Indeed, American children are currently on course to become the most obese generation of adults in history. The rapid pace of the obesity epidemic, therefore, makes the development and evaluation of effective new treatment strategies of paramount importance.

Despite major advances in the treatment of hyperglycemia and its associated complications, T2DM remains a chronic degenerative condition that is difficult to control, particularly during adolescence. T2DM is often preceded by impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), a prediabetic condition defined as a 2 h glucose level >7.8 mmol/l (140 mg/dl) but <11.1 mmol/l (200 mg/dl) after a standard oral glucose load. IGT is a major risk factor for subsequent development of T2DM and cardiovascular disease.2 The prevalence of IGT within the general population is steadily rising, and the number of affected individuals is projected to reach 472 million worldwide by 2025. As IGT can progress to T2DM, options for the management of IGT in childhood are discussed in this Viewpoint.

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  1. Department of Pediatrics, PO Box 208064, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8064, USA sonia.caprio@yale.edu

Authors and Affiliations

  1. S Caprio is a Professor of Pediatric Endocrinology at Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,

    Sonia Caprio

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Caprio, S. Treatment of impaired glucose tolerance in childhood. Nat Rev Endocrinol 4, 320–321 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpendmet0815

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