Type 2 diabetes mellitus in European children and adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to review the published and unpublished data on type 2 diabetes in European children in order to determine how common this problem is in the dominantly Caucasian population.


METHODS
The MEDLINE database was searched and a questionnaire was distributed among European Childhood Obesity Group (ECOG) representatives from 16 countries.


RESULTS
One hundred and eighty-four children with type 2 diabetes were diagnosed in Europe, 144 of them of Caucasian origin. The majority of them were overweight females and, had positive family history for type 2 diabetes mellitus.


CONCLUSIONS
Because of the significant rates of type 2 diabetes in Europe, screening for it in obese children and adolescents is highly recommended.
Malecka-Tendera
Ewa
E
Department of Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland. etendera@slam.katowice.pl
Erhardt
Eva
E
Molnár
Dénes
D
D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires