Prevention of type 2 DM: implications for adolescents and young adults.

Type 2 Diabetes has reached epidemic proportions among adults in the USA and worldwide. With the rising epidemic of obesity among children and adolescents, a parallel epidemic of type 2 diabetes is also observed in this patient population. Control of diabetes and its complications, mainly cardiovascular disease has been sub-optimal at best. Therefore, effort trials have been conducted and others are ongoing to assess various modalities for diabetes prevention among adults, ranging from diet and exercise to pharmacological agents of various classes. Recently, concerted efforts have been made for prevention of type 2 diabetes among children and adolescents. In this paper we discuss the diabetes prevention rationale and methods among adults and the implications of these efforts for children and adolescents. We also highlight the ongoing efforts for diabetes prevention in trials specifically designed to address the adolescent population.