2 tests better than 1 for diagnosing type 2 diabetes in overweight children

A new study has found that just the recommended blood test may not be sufficient to catch type 2 diabetes in overweight kids, missing more than two-thirds of them at high-risk.

Researchers from Children's Mercy Hospital and Clinics have found that performing two tests, the recommended hemoglobin A1C test and an oral glucose tolerance test could reduce the risk of delayed diagnosis in overweight children.

While the oral glucose tolerance test was previously considered the standard for diabetes screening, diagnosis using hemoglobin A1C does not require a long fast beforehand, making it easier for patients.

"Our research indicates that special consideration may need to be given to overweight children being tested for diabetes. Simply following the guidelines may not be enough to ensure these children get proper care," said Ghufran S. Babar, lead researcher and pediatric endocrinologist at Children's Mercy Hospital.

Researchers evaluated the charts of 629 overweight and adolescent patients who had both done.

According to the findings, 40% of type 2 diabetes patients and 67% of high-risk patients identified through the oral glucose tolerance test would have shown a normal glycemic status if only the hemoglobin A1C test were used to diagnose them.

Almost, nine out of ten patients (86%) had normal blood glucose levels according to their hemoglobin A1C results.
 
The study was recently presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting in Denver.