Studies in children with obesity in two European treatment centres show a high prevalence of impaired glucose metabolism in the Swedish cohort

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the prevalence and possible risk factors for the development of impaired glucose metabolism in children and adolescents with obesity. Methods: This was a cross-sectional retrospective cohort study, including 634 patients with obesity and 98 normal weight controls aged 4–18 years from the Beta-cell function in Juvenile Diabetes and Obesity (Beta-JUDO) cohort, a dual-centre study at Uppsala University Hospital (Sweden) and Paracelsus Medical University Hospital (Salzburg, Austria) conducted between 2012 and 2021. A longitudinal subgroup analysis, including 188 of these subjects was performed. Impaired glucose metabolism was diagnosed by oral glucose tolerance tests according to American Diabetes Association criteria. Results: The prevalence of impaired glucose metabolism was 72% in Uppsala patients, 24% in Salzburg patients, 30% in Uppsala controls and 13% in Salzburg controls. The prevalence was lower at the follow-up visits compared with baseline both in Uppsala and Salzburg patients. A family history of type 2 diabetes showed the strongest association with impaired glucose metabolism at the follow-up visits besides belonging to the Uppsala cohort. Conclusion: The prevalence of impaired glucose metabolism was extraordinarily high in Swedish children and adolescents with obesity, but decreased during the follow-up period.