New drugs targeting weight loss and diabetes management show great promise in reducing the number of young people affected by type 2 diabetes, a paediatric endocrinologist at Starship Children’s Hospital said.
Dr Craig Jefferies stated that a recent clinical trial indicates these new weight loss and diabetes medications are showing “very, very promising” results.
He noted that although these drugs are not yet funded by the government, they have the potential to be “life-changing” for individuals living with the said health condition.
“The most recent trial … would say that they’re very effective,” Jefferies said.
“They’ve got a very low side-effect profile; they’re expensive, but we’re only dealing with small numbers of youth with type 2 … so the full cost to Pharmac wouldn’t be that much.”
He said type 2 diabetes tends to be especially severe in younger children and adolescents. They experience complications much sooner and with greater speed than adults.
“Their risk of blindness, amputations, kidney failure, and heart disease is going to be far higher than their parent or previous generation. If left undiagnosed and unsupported, the outcomes can be devastating.”
Children were more susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes if they belonged to Māori, Pasifika, or Asian communities, or if their mother had diabetes, especially during pregnancy.
“For young people, type 2 diabetes is not just a lifestyle disease – it’s driven by complex genetic, social and environmental factors well beyond their control, though weight is an added driver or determinant for diabetes,” Jefferies said.
Diabetes NZ warns about the increasing number of young people being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Chief executive Heather Verry stated that while most of the estimated 6000 diabetes cases in people under 25 were type 1, the rising number of type 2 cases should serve as a “wake-up call for decision-makers.”
Meanwhile, Dr Bryan Betty, chairman of General Practice NZ, said that with more young people being diagnosed, primary care must adapt its approach to meet these changing needs.
“When children and young adults present with symptoms such as excessive thirst, frequent urination, extreme tiredness or unexplained weight loss, diabetes must be part of the diagnostic thinking,” Betty said.
“Early detection is critical to avoiding the worst complications.”