Bryan Betty: Younger Onset Type 2 Diabetes

What is the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes?  

• Diabetes affects more than 300,000 people in New Zealand and costs the country $2.1 billion a year in health costs (0.67% of GDP!).  
• It occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to control blood sugar.  
• Type 1: Usually begins in younger people; an autoimmune reaction destroys the pancreas so it can’t make insulin.
• Type 2: More common with age; the pancreas wears out over time and doesn’t produce enough insulin.  

 

What is happening with Type 2 diabetes in New Zealand?  

• Over 250,000 New Zealanders have Type 2 diabetes, previously seen mostly in people over 50.  
• Over the past 25 years, it is increasingly occurring in younger people – even those in their early teens and children.  
• It’s particularly effecting Māori, Pasifika, and Asian young people; this pattern was not seen 30 years ago.  
• This is a new and concerning trend.  

 

Why is this occurring?  

• The exact cause is unclear, but it is seen worldwide, especially in Indigenous populations.  
• It is complex – caused by more than just lifestyle.  
• Likely involves genetics, strong family history, maternal diabetes in pregnancy, and some lifestyle factors. More research is needed.  

 

Why should we be worried?  

• Early-onset Type 2 diabetes seems to have a more aggressive course.  
• Complications such as kidney disease, heart disease, and strokes occur earlier.  
• It’s a significant cost to the health system, and an even greater cost to patients, whānau, and communities.  

 

What can we do about it?  

• Improve awareness and education.  
• Provide strong wrap-around support for young people with diabetes.  
• Know the symptoms and see your GP – weight loss, tiredness, frequent urination, and excessive thirst.  

Remember: diabetes can occur at any age. 

 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack Tame podcast
from News talks At.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
By doctor Brian Betty is our resident doctor.

Speaker 3 (00:14):
Good morning, Serve, Oh good morning Jack.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Nice to be here, you nice to be chatting. We're
taking a cloger look this morning at younger onset type
two diabetes. So let's start off with just a quick reminder.
What's the difference between T one and T two?

Speaker 3 (00:27):
Yes, So, look, diabetes affects more than three hundred thousand
people in New Zealand. Now the cost of the country
is about two point one billion a year and the
really interesting figure that'ser point six seven percent of our GDP.
So this is a big issue now. It occurs when
the pancreas doesn't produce enough inchulin, which is a thing
that controls blood sugars. So type one usually occurs at

(00:49):
a younger age and it's where the body turns on itself.
Is it what we call an autoimmune reaction, and it
shuts down the pancreas and it can't produce inchulin. Type
two is more common with age, and essentially the pancreas
wears out, it starts to run down, can't produce enough inchulin.
Can't control the sugars and over time the sugars start
to rise. So they are very two, very very different conditions.

Speaker 2 (01:12):
So what's happening with type two diabetes in New Zealand?

Speaker 3 (01:16):
So look, big big numbers are two hundred and fifty
thousand to three hundred thousand. We have type two diabetes
previously seen mostly in people over the age of fifty. However,
and this is what's happened over the last twenty five years.
It's increasingly incurring in younger people, even now teenagers and children,
and we never ever saw that before. Now this is

(01:37):
happening particularly in Maori, Pacifica and Asian young people. And this,
as I said, not seen thirty years ago. So this
is a really new and very very concerning trend that
started to develop over the last couple of decades.

Speaker 2 (01:51):
Do we know why it's happening?

Speaker 3 (01:54):
Look, the exact cause is very unclear. Now it's a
worldwide phenomenon, especially in indigenous populations. So First Nations people
in Canada, First Nations in America are Aboriginals seen this
across the world. Now, it's complex, It's more than just lifestyle.
It likely involves genetics, maybe a strong family history. We

(02:16):
know that mothers who have type two diabetes during pregnancy
there's an increased risk with their children, and this perhaps
happening earlier as well, and we do know that some
lifestyle factors are involved. However, we really do need more
research because it's very very poorly understood as to why
this is occurring.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
Yeah, but it's certainly worrying. Right.

Speaker 3 (02:39):
Oh, look, look, I think the real concern here is
that early onset type two diabetes has a much more
what we for better want of a better word, aggressive course,
so those complications such as kidney disease, heart disease, and
stroke can occur at a much earlier age. Now, this
is a significant cost of the health system, as I've said,

(03:02):
but it's an even greater cost to the patient, to
their fauner and to communities. So it's something we really
really need to start to take note of.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
Yeah, right, okay, And are there things that you know
we can do Although we don't understand the specific reasons
for the spike, there are things that we can do
to try and reduce the instances of T two right, Yeah.

Speaker 3 (03:23):
Look, look, I think it's awareness and education around diabetes
is really really important. I mean I think we do
need to provide strong wrap round support for younger people
with diabetes. That's both from a medical sense and a
community sense. In terms of what's happening. I think awareness
of the symptoms of diabetes is really really important. So

(03:45):
the big four a weight loss, tiredness, frequent going to
the toilet, a urination or excess of thirst, those are
the ones to watch out for. I mean, certainly, if
any of those happen, please see your GP or your nurse.
And remember, I think it can occur at any age.
So we just need to be aware of this now
that the shift has occurred, and we just need to

(04:07):
be the front of mind about this.

Speaker 2 (04:10):
Yeah, okay, fascinating. Thank you so much, Brian. We really
appreciate it, and we'll make sure all of those points
are up on the website. That's doctor Brian Betty, our
resident doctor.

Speaker 1 (04:19):
For more from Saturday Morning with Jack Tame, listen live
to News Talks ed B from nine am Saturday, or
follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.