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Table 3 Classification of Diabetes Mellitus in Children and Adolescents

From: Metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, hypertension and type 2 diabetes in youth: from diagnosis to treatment

 

T1D

T2D

ADM

MODY

Age at onset

Childhood

Puberty

Puberty

Puberty

Severity at onset

Acute/severe

Moderate to severe, usually insidious

Acute/severe

Mild/insidious

Insulin secretion

Very low

Varying

Moderately low

Varying

Insulin sensitivity*

Normal

Reduced

Normal

Normal

Insulin dependency**

Permanent

No

Varying

No

Genetic

Polygenic

Polygenic

Autosomal dominant

Autosomal dominant

Ethnic and racial distribution

All (less frequent in Asians)

Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and Amerindians

Blacks

Caucasians

Frequency (of all DM types in children and adolescents)

~80%

10 - 20%

5 - 10%

Rare

Association with

Obesity

No

Strong

Varying

No

Acanthosis nigricans

No

Yes

No

No

Autoimmunity

Yes

No

No

No

  1. DM: diabetes mellitus; T1D: type 1 diabetes mellitus; T2D: type 2 diabetes mellitus; ADM: atypical diabetes mellitus; MODY: maturity-onset diabetes of the young or monogenic diabetes.
  2. * insulin sensitivity: considered a pathogenic factor. **insulin dependency is diagnosed in the absence of acute disease or other stress factors [119].