Does a child’s chances of diabetes increase with a fatty liver? Research into this area is beginning to shed some light on children and diabetes.
According to information from the Mayo Clinic, diabetes is a medical condition which effects the way in which your body uses blood sugars, or glucose. The reason that glucose is important is because it is the fuel that your muscles and tissue use to work. In addition, glucose is a major source of energy that the brain uses to function.
The American Diabetes Association (“ADA”) breaks down diabetes into categories such as, Type 1, Type 2, and Gestational Diabetes. Type 1 diabetes was in the past labeled as juvenile diabetes because it is diagnosed in children and young adults. According to the ADA, 5% of all diabetes cases are Type 1. For children with Type 1 diabetes the body does not produce the insulin needed for glucose to be gathered from the bloodstream.
With Type 2 diabetes, the body produces glucose levels which are too high. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes across the board.
News reports state that almost 7 million children in the United States (“US”) have fatty livers. Within this 7 million, close to 1/3 of the children have diabetes or prediabetes according to a study. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) can lead to a scarring in the liver. As a result of this type of injury, the liver can fail and leave the patient in need of a liver transplant. As of now, there is no cure for NAFLD, only treatments.
Researchers looked at 675 children under 18 who had a body mass index over the amount for clinical obesity and who had NAFLD. The findings of the study revealed that 23% of children who had NAFLD suffered from prediabetes and 7% had Type 2 diabetes.
To read more about does a child’s chances of diabetes increase with a fatty liver, click HERE to read the article in support of this post and more information on the study.
