Bastille Post (10/11/2021)(In Chinese)
Diabetes diagnosis rate among children in Hong Kong is increasing; study suggests fatty liver may be a complication of growth
The Children’s Diabetes Association announced a study today that fatty liver may become a long-term complication of diabetes patients. The association said that the number of diabetes patients worldwide is continuing to rise, especially among children and adolescents. So far, there are about 1.1 million people under the age of 20 suffering from type 1 diabetes worldwide. The association emphasized that if diabetes is not treated or even undetected, patients have a higher risk of serious or fatal complications such as heart disease, stroke and kidney failure.。
The association said that diabetes is divided into type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is more common in children and is an immune disease. The chairman of the Children’s Diabetes Association, Cheng Fengliangqi, said that type 1 diabetes is a disease that needs to be dealt with at all times because the immune system attacks the cells in the pancreas that are responsible for producing insulin. This disease cannot be prevented or cured, and patients must receive insulin injections for life.
Pediatrician Dr. Cheung Pik-to said that the incidence of type 1 diabetes in Hong Kong is lower than in other regions. Symptoms include thirst, frequent urination, nocturia, weight loss, and even sudden bedwetting in children. He reminded parents to pay more attention to their children’s physical condition.
In addition, the association predicts that by 2030, the number of people with diabetes worldwide will increase to 643 million. The main cause of type 2 diabetes is the body’s resistance to insulin, and obesity is the most dangerous factor causing the disease. In addition, genetics, bad eating habits, and lack of exercise can also lead to type 2 diabetes.
Zhang Bitao pointed out that it is mainly through routine screening that children are found to have type 2 diabetes. When diagnosed, the children also suffer from complications including fatty liver, dyslipidemia and high blood pressure. Zhang also pointed out that long-term diabetes will lead to many serious complications. Although the liver has not been considered an organ directly damaged by long-term diabetes, there is evidence that diabetes and fatty liver have common metabolic disorders.
Dr. Zhou Zhongwu, a pediatrician, said that a self-directed study on “the prevalence of transient fatty liver in patients with type 1 diabetes” published recently by an institution showed that fatty liver has the potential to become a long-term complication of diabetes patients, and found that the prevalence of fatty liver and liver fibrosis index in adults are higher than those in children and adolescents. The study recommends that the assessment of fatty liver be included in the complication screening plan for diabetic patients.
As Diabetes Awareness Month approaches, the Association hopes that the public will pay attention to the rising trend of childhood diabetes so that they can receive better care.