358. Rates of type 2 diabetes among teenagers expected to skyrocket
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
A new study forecasts that the number of children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes might skyrocket in the coming decades. Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body doesn’t use insulin the way it should. It has increased dramatically in the last two decades among U.S. children and adolescents. According to the new study, published in the journal Diabetes Care, if the incidence of type 2 diabetes continues to rise as fast as it did between 2002 and 2017, over half a million young people may have diabetes by 2060, an almost 675 percent increase. And the researchers predict the increase could be greater among minorities. Diabetes presents numerous health risks, such as heart and kidney disease, nerve damage, and premature death. And it is believed that the condition could worsen more quickly in younger patients compared to older adults.
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
