Young adults and youth with diabetes in the United States have rising HgbA1c’s despite advances in diabetes technologies.

At the recent virtual ADA Scientific Sessions, Faisal Malik MD, MSHS, shared findings from the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth studies, which are funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the CDC.

According to Dr. Faisal Malik, by comparing results found in 2002-2007 (HbA1c mean, 8.6%) SEARCH studies to more recent data from 2014-2019 (HbA1c mean, 8.7%), we see that glycemic responses continue to rise for younger people.

“These results suggest that not all youth and young adults with diabetes are directly benefiting from the increased availability of diabetes technology, newer therapies, and the use of more aggressive glycemic targets for youth with diabetes over time,” said Dr. Faisal Malik.

Supporting Young Adults Living with Diabetes

For many, our teenage years and early adulthood are challenging, this pivotal time in our lives becomes even more challenging when we have the responsibility of managing diabetes. This population needs a lot of support.

We can offer more support through an increase of interventions including support groups, scheduled routine follow up visits, family and peer support groups, in addition to the newer therapies and advanced technology.

In addition, support networks like The College Diabetes Network for college-age youth transitioning to college is another resource for this age group.

This age group needs our support, empathy, and compassion, to successfully meet the challenges of managing type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Written by Catherine Cullinane RN, CDCES, our resident Tech Thursday Content Writer

Read more here.

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