Type 2 Diabetes in Kids a Challenge to Control
April 29, 2012 -- The obesity epidemic has created a generation of children and teens who have type 2 diabetes, and a new study hints that the solution to this problem is not going to come easily.
Because type 2 diabetes among children is a relatively recent development, many treatment decisions have relied on what is known about adults with type 2 diabetes. Now, in the first major trial to compare treatments for the disease in young people, researchers have learned that two drugs are better than one for maintaining blood sugar control in these children.
Combined treatment with the diabetes drugs metformin and Avandia proved more effective than metformin alone or metformin plus lifestyle changes for keeping blood sugar at normal levels. Still, the combination failed to help more than a third of patients who took it.
The findings suggest that aggressive and early drug therapy may help children and teens with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and nerve damage.
They also confirm that for many children with the disease, standard treatment with metformin alone is not enough, says Barbara Linder, MD, PhD, of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
Metformin is the only oral diabetes drug that has been approved by the FDA for use in children.
"These kids did not do as well on metformin as anticipated based on our experience in adults," she tells WebMD. "The assumption has been that kids will do fine on metformin, but clearly that is not the case."
Slideshow: Type 2 Diabetes Overview
Because type 2 diabetes among children is a relatively recent development, many treatment decisions have relied on what is known about adults with type 2 diabetes. Now, in the first major trial to compare treatments for the disease in young people, researchers have learned that two drugs are better than one for maintaining blood sugar control in these children.
Combined treatment with the diabetes drugs metformin and Avandia proved more effective than metformin alone or metformin plus lifestyle changes for keeping blood sugar at normal levels. Still, the combination failed to help more than a third of patients who took it.
The findings suggest that aggressive and early drug therapy may help children and teens with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, and nerve damage.
They also confirm that for many children with the disease, standard treatment with metformin alone is not enough, says Barbara Linder, MD, PhD, of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
Metformin is the only oral diabetes drug that has been approved by the FDA for use in children.
"These kids did not do as well on metformin as anticipated based on our experience in adults," she tells WebMD. "The assumption has been that kids will do fine on metformin, but clearly that is not the case."
Slideshow: Type 2 Diabetes Overview
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