Characteristics of Type 2 Diabetes in Female and Male Youth.

The incidence of type 2 diabetes in children is rising and carries a worse prognosis than in adults. The influence of sex on pediatric type 2 diabetes outcomes has not been well investigated. We studied 715 youth with type 2 diabetes diagnosed at a median age of 13.7 years and compared sex differences in demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics within the first year of diagnosis. Females diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were younger and at a higher stage of pubertal development than males, yet presented with lower A1Cs, a lower prevalence of diabetic ketoacidosis, and higher HDL cholesterol levels.