A pediatric doctor from the University of Texas shocked the medical community when he presented a case of adult onset diabetes in a 3-year-old girl at Sweden's international conference on diabetes, according to NewsMax.
Dr. Michael Yafi discovered the 77-pound Hispanic toddler had Type 2 diabetes, a level of the disease that was previously only diagnosed in adults. "Type 2 diabetes is no longer limited to adults. Now when I see any obese child I screen the patient for type 2 diabetes," Yafi said.
The girl was treated immediately after the doctor discovered the disease and gave the Houston girl a drug called metformin, along with suggestions for changes in diet and exercise, reversing her diagnosis in the span of six months, according to News OXY.
The child is considered to be among the youngest to ever be diagnosed with the illness, according to the Examiner.
There are millions of diabetics worldwide, but due to the lack of a coordinated global account of diabetes cases, more specific numbers are unknown.
"I'm sure there probably are others but they are either un-diagnosed or not reported yet," Yafi said.
The number of global diabetes cases is estimated to hit just under 600 million by 2035.
