SOCIO DEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICAL PROFILE OF DIABETES MELLITUS IN ADOLESCENTS AND YOUNG ADULTS

OBJECTIVES: Objective of the study to find out the type of diabetes in diabetic patients whose age of onset < 35 years by using ADA criteria, also to study about sociodemographic characters and their clinical presentations by clinical examination. RESEARCH DESIGNS AND METHODS: A total of 130 patients who developed diabetes before the age of 35 were included in this descriptive study. The aim of the study was to find out the different types of diabetes and their epidemiology and also to study the clinical abnormalities like age of onset, age/sex ratio, urban/rural difference, clinical symptoms and complications in adolescents and young diabetic patients getting treatment from Sri Manakula Vinayagar Medical College & Hospital. RESULTS: Majority of the patients had age of onset above 25 years (83%). Seventy nine percent of the type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) patients had onset of disease below 30 years. Whereas, majority of the patients with type 2 diabetes (54.4%) had onset of disease above 30 years. There were 63 males and 67 females in our study and majority of the patients had a sedentary lifestyle. Seventy percent (70%) of the patients were from urban area. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) was the commonest type of diabetes 103/130(79.3%) followed by type 1 diabetes 19/130(14.7%). There were 3 cases of Fibro Calculous Pancreatic Disease (FCPD) out of which 2 were from rural areas. 5 cases had steroid induced Diabetes Mellitus. 73.85% patients were asymptomatic and diabetes was detected by routine examination or when they presented to the hospital with some other illness. Family history of diabetes was present in 47.4% of type 2 diabetes, 27.8% of type 1diabetes. CONCLUSION: Majority of patients had the age of onset > 25 years with slight female predominance. Among these type 2 DM is the predominant type with age of onset within 30- 35 yrs., majority of them were asymptomatic detected during other illness followed by type 1 DM, steroid induced DM and FCPD.