{
  "id": 443351,
  "title": "Type 2 diabetes in young women increasingly common",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/10/type-2-diabetes-in-young-women-increasingly-common",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-10T06:06:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "DW News",
    "slug": "dw-news",
    "url": "https://www.dw.com/en/type-2-diabetes-in-young-women-increasingly-common/a-78251712?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Type 2 diabetes, once thought to primarily affect older adults, is increasingly being diagnosed in young women, according to a study by researchers at Imperial College London. Published in The Lancet Regional Health Europe journal, the study found that while the prevalence of type 2 diabetes is decreasing in adults aged 60 to 79, it is rising among women under 40. The sharpest increase was among white, Asian, and Black women in their 20s and white women in their 30s.\n\nLead author Shivani Misra explained that while ethnic minority groups are disproportionately affected by early-onset type 2 diabetes, the incidence is also increasing in white populations, indicating that the public health challenge is broadening across generations. In Germany, endocrinologist Baptist Gallwitz noted that type 2 diabetes is on the rise in many countries and is even affecting children and teenagers, with an annual increase of 5.8% among youth aged 11 to 17 from 2014 to 2023.\n\nGenetic predisposition can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes, but lifestyle factors are the primary cause. A sedentary lifestyle and a diet high in sugar and calories lead to obesity, which in turn significantly increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. Young patients with type 2 diabetes may experience more aggressive disease progression, leading to serious complications and reduced life expectancy. Helen Kirrane from Diabetes UK emphasized the importance of early intervention to prevent complications.\n\nGallwitz advocated for a tiered value-added tax (VAT) system in Germany, with no tax on fresh fruit and vegetables and increasing tax on products containing saturated fats and sugars. He also called for healthier food options in kindergartens and school cafeterias and mandatory physical activity during school hours. Alexandra Kautzky-Willer, head of endocrinology and metabolism at the Medical University of Vienna, stressed the need for safer environments for women to engage in physical activity, as fear of harassment or attacks often discourages them from exercising. She suggested that women, who are more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at an earlier age, should undergo comprehensive tests, including glucose tolerance tests and HbA1c levels, to identify the condition sooner.",
  "summary": "British researchers say rates of type 2 diabetes are growing most in women under 40. The disease is often underdiagnosed in women or it's diagnosed too late to reverse the condition's progression.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "DW English (Top Stories)",
        "title": "Type 2 diabetes in young women increasingly common",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/10/type-2-diabetes-in-young-women-increasingly-common-446453",
        "published": "2026-08-10T06:06:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}