One-Third of U.S. Adolescents Have Prediabetes, a CDC Report Finds

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a “wake-up call” about prediabetes in adolescents.

Data released recently by the CDC shows an estimated 8.4 million U.S. adolescents, or nearly 33% of the country’s adolescent population, had prediabetes in 2023. Prediabetes can lead to type 2 diabetes.

“These new prediabetes data among adolescents serve as a wake-up call. Type 2 diabetes is a significant threat to the health of our nation’s young people,” said Christopher Holliday, director of CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation. “The good news is it’s not too late to change course. Simple lifestyle changes — like healthy eating and staying active — can make a big difference in preventing or delaying type 2 diabetes.”

What is prediabetes?

Prediabetes is a precursor of type 2 diabetes, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It means sure blood sugar levels are high but not high enough to prompt a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

The Cleveland Clinic says prediabetes is “very common,” affecting more than one-third of U.S. adults under age 65 and half of U.S. adults over age 65.

“More than 80% of people with prediabetes don’t know they have it, as it often has no symptoms,” says the Cleveland Clinic.

What are the risk factors for prediabetes?

For adolescents, risk factors of prediabetes include:

• Having a parent or sibling with type 2 diabetes.
• Being Black, Hispanic or Latino, Asian American, Native American or a Pacific Islander.
• Low birth weight.
• Being born to a mother who had gestational diabetes.
• Being physically active less than three times per week, according to the CDC. “Prediabetes … has increased in parallel with the growing burden of pediatric obesity worldwide,” according to a research review published in 2023 by the World Journal of Clinical Pediatrics.

The research review noted that prediabetes frequently goes unnoticed in children. One problem: It’s often diagnosed using adult criteria that might not apply to children.

“If you have prediabetes, that already tells you that your pancreas and your beta cells specifically are under a lot of stress, and certainly we know that kids with type 2 diabetes lose beta cell function much more quickly than adults,” Meg Bensignor, a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of Minnesota’s Center for Pediatric Obesity Medicine, told the STAT medical news website.

She added that being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes as a child or adolescent “can be really devastating” due to the potential for developing at least two diseases simultaneously.

What are the symptoms of prediabetes?

Although people with prediabetes typically don’t notice symptoms, some may experience darkened skin on certain parts of their body, such as the neck, armpits and groin, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Despite the lack of symptoms, someone with prediabetes may already be heading toward long-term damage from type 2 diabetes, says the Mayo Clinic. This could include harm to the heart, blood vessels and kidneys.

Can you prevent prediabetes from turning into diabetes?

The Mayo Clinic notes that progression from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes is not inevitable. It’s possible to stop the move from prediabetes to diabetes if adolescents:

• Undergo testing for prediabetes when they’re overweight or obese or when they have at least one risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
• Be tested each year for type 2 diabetes if they have prediabetes.
• Stick to a diet that’s chock-full of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and olive oil, and eat foods low in fat and calories and high in fiber.
• Maintain a healthy weight. An article published in 2021 by the journal Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity says that “obesity prevention efforts should involve the entire family rather than just the individual patient … . Prevention of obesity in the first place needs to be a focus for all pediatric healthcare providers.”
• Increase physical activity. The Pediatric Endocrine Society recommends 60 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity at least five days a week. “Sign your child up for a sport or dance lessons,” the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia suggests. “Find recreational activities you can do outside, away from computer games or the television.”

Signs of diabetes in teens and preteens

Type 2 diabetes often triggers no symptoms, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. When symptoms do occur, they might include:

• Frequent bladder infections.
• Skin infections and wounds that don’t heal easily.
• Feeling the urge to urinate frequently.
• Weight loss despite increased appetite.
• Excessive thirst.
• Blurry vision.
• Irritability and mood changes.
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Tingling or loss of feeling in the hands or feet.

“The symptoms of type 2 diabetes can seem like other health conditions,” Johns Hopkins Medicine advises. “Make sure your child sees their healthcare provider for a diagnosis.”