New research presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes 2026 meeting reveals a nearly tenfold increase in type 2 diabetes among Colorado teenagers over two decades, underscoring the critical importance of early diagnosis and preventative measures.
New research to be presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting in 2026 shows a steep rise in youth-onset type 2 diabetes in Colorado over more than two decades, reinforcing concerns raised by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and other diabetes researchers that the disease is becoming more common in children and teenagers. The Colorado Diabetes Registry tracked diagnoses in people under 20 across the state from 2002 to 2023, using health-system records, laboratory results and medication data.
According to the study led by Tessa Crume of the Colorado School of Public Health in Aurora, 1,560 young people aged 10 to 19 were newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during the study period, alongside 8,094 cases of type 1 diabetes in those under 20. The incidence of type 2 diabetes rose almost tenfold, from 2.37 cases per 100,000 in 2002 to 22.30 in 2023, with the sharpest acceleration seen in recent years. By contrast, type 1 diabetes increased only modestly, from 25.07 per 100,000 to 27.39 over the same period.
The findings fit with earlier US data. The CDC has reported that new diabetes cases among young people rose between 2002 and 2018, with type 2 diagnoses doubling over that period. A review in Diabetes Care also found that youth-onset type 2 diabetes climbed steadily, with the fastest increases in some ethnic minority groups. Researchers cited in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology said the pattern highlights the need for long-term surveillance and earlier intervention.
Crume said the rise means paediatric clinicians can no longer assume a teenager with high blood sugar has type 1 diabetes. She said proper diagnosis now requires testing for autoantibodies, which indicate type 1 diabetes, and markers of insulin resistance, which are more typical of type 2. That distinction matters because treatment differs, and youth-onset type 2 diabetes can progress quickly, bringing a higher risk of kidney, eye, nerve and heart complications in early adulthood. Crume argued that prevention must begin in homes, schools and communities, with support for healthier meals, physical activity and better access to affordable food.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
