Abstract
Currently, there is no epidemiological study of diabetes diagnosed before the age of 30 in Thailand. The aim of this study was to determine type of diabetes and clinical characteristics of Thai diabetic patients diagnosed before age 30 years. Six hundred and forty-six patients were enrolled from 31 network hospitals in Thailand between August 2018 to December 2021. Type 1 diabetes was identified in 63.6% of patients, type 2 diabetes in 19.8%, and other specific types of diabetes in 16.6%. For type 1 diabetes patients, the median age at diagnosis was 11 years and presentation with diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) was common (45%). The average glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) at diagnosis was 9.9%. For type 2 diabetes patients, the median age at diagnosis was 18 years and the presentation of DKA was 4.7%. The average HbA1c at diagnosis was 10.9%. In conclusion, type 1 diabetes was more common in diabetes diagnosed before age 30 years and DKA was frequent. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes increased with age and HbA1c increased during adolescence. This study can be used as reference and may lead to applicable public health policies related to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diabetes in young people in Thailand as well.
