Type 2 Diabetes Age Balance Shifts: Rapid Increase in Young Women

Type 2 diabetes is now emerging in younger age groups. UK data shows an increase in new diagnoses, particularly among women under 40, and a shift in the age distribution of the disease.Imperial College London researchers evaluated the UK National Diabetes Audit data from 2011-2024. The study, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, found that the incidence of type 2 diabetes decreased in the 60-79 age group but increased in adults under 40.The most significant rise was seen in white, Asian, and black women in their 20s and white women in their 30s. The lead author and Imperial College London Diabetes Clinical Lecturer Shivani Misra stated that discussions about increasing type 2 diabetes in young people have largely focused on ethnic minorities, but the new findings show the problem affects a broader population.Experts emphasize that the disease can be diagnosed late in women. According to the Head of the Endocrinology and Metabolism Department at the University of Vienna, Kautzky-Willer, one reason is the fasting blood sugar test commonly used in the initial assessment of diabetes. Since fasting blood sugar levels are generally lower in women than in men, some cases can be missed using this method.