Demographic and Clinical Characteristics of Diabetes Mellitus among Youth Kashmir, India

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major public health problem. Objective of current study was to know the demography, clinical characteristics and etiology of youth diabetes mellitus in Kashmir, North India. Materials and Methods: A prospective hospital based study, carried out in the Department of Endocrinology, SKIMS Srinagar, Kashmir- India, in a two-year period. All the new youth onset diabetes patients whose age were less than twenty five years and were admitted in endocrinology ward for various reasons over the period from July 2008 to September 2010 were enrolled in this study. Variables recorded were demographics, clinical presentation, laboratory tests. Results: A total of seventy two patients of youth onset diabetes mellitus with a mean age of 16.7 + 5.7 years were studied. There were 33 males (45.8%) and 39 females (54.2%). Fifty nine patients (81.9%) presented with osmotic symptoms; hypoglycemic episodes were present in forty one (56.9%) patients. Family history of type 1 diabetes mellitus was present in nineteen (26.4%) patients; fourteen were less than 20 years and five more than 20 years. Sixteen (22.2%) patients had nephropathy. Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at initial presentation was diagnosed in thirteen (18.1%) of the patients and nine (12.5%) had retinopathy. Conclusion: Osmotic symptoms, hypoglycemic episodes and family history of diabetes were the most common presenting symptom. Family history of type 1 diabetes mellitus is highly prevalent among the studied patients.