ABSTRACT
Currently, diabetes mellitus (DM) afflicts an estimated 171 million people worldwide and 20.8 million in the United States (though only two-thirds of these are diagnosed). Type 1 DM accounts for 5% to 10% of these cases (1). Diabetes prevalence in women 18 to 44 years old is lower than that in the general population, although with an excess of type 1 cases. Importantly, the prevalence of type 2 DM (and of diabetes overall) is increasing dramatically in young women, perhaps due to the epidemic of adolescent obesity.
