The management of type 2 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents

The medical community faces an emerging epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) in children and adolescents with a disproportionate increase among certain ethnic groups. DM2 represents one arm of the metabolic syndrome and parallels an increasing prevalence of obesity. The metabolic syndrome includes insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension with a consequent risk of early cardiovascular disease. Thus, treatment of DM2 and the metabolic syndrome poses a challenge for pediatric endocrinologists and represents a huge public health issue. This review presents information about treatment of childhood DM2 with emphasis on indications for the use of insulin in management and normalization of blood glucose.