Risk factor identified for early adulthood cardiovascular disease in Adolescents with Type 2 Diabetes
Researchers from the Manitoba Institute of Child Health and University of Manitoba are part of a research team that found a possible early marker for the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among adolescents with Type 2 diabetes.
The study, which was funded by the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Manitoba, recently published online in the journal Diabetes Care, found that platelet activation is elevated in adolescents with Type 2 diabetes. The activation of these platelets may predict the risk of CVD for these teens as they enter young adulthood.
The study, Risk Factor Identified for Adolescents with Type 2 Diabetes Who May Develop Cardiovascular Disease in Early Adulthood, was conducted by Drs. Sara Israels, Elizabeth Sellers, Heather Dean, Archibald McNicol and Fabrice Cognasse.
Corresponding author Israels said this is the first time a study has shown that platelet activation is elevated in in youth with Type 2 diabetes compared to teens without diabetes.
“This study showed that there are increased numbers of activated platelets in the circulation of adolescents with Type 2 diabetes. Platelets normally circulate in a resting state and are only activated at a site of blood vessel wall injury. Circulating activated platelets are associated with an increased risk of development of atherosclerosis and heart disease in adults,” said Israels, a professor in pediatrics & child health, researcher at the Manitoba Institute of Child Health (MICH) and senior investigator, Manitoba Institute of Cell Biology.
“Adults with diabetes are known to have increased numbers of circulating activated platelets, but this is the first study to show that this is also true in youth with Type 2 diabetes. The platelet markers associated with increased heart risk are already present, suggesting that the increased risk for CVD may start during adolescence.”
MICH researcher Sellers said the findings could have an impact for those youth living with Type 2 diabetes.
“Manitoba has the highest incidence of Type 2 diabetes in youth (< 18 years of age) in Canada – exceeding that of other regions by a factor of 10-20 times. In adults with both Type 1 and 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease is the primary cause of morbidity and mortality,” said Sellers, Associate Professor, Department of Pediatrics & Child Health, University of Manitoba.
“Our study is the first to demonstrate that youth with Type 2 diabetes have similar hyperactivity of the platelets – however it will require longitudinal studies to be sure that this is predictive of artherosclerosis. If this is related to risk for CVD – then the possibility exists that decreasing the platelet activity could decrease the risk for the development of cardiovascular disease in these youth.”
Click here to view the study.