Roundup: Diabetes in Those Under 20 Projected to Surge; Health Risks of Coffee Habit for Those with Severe Hypertension; and More News

Diabetes May Surge by 7-Fold in People Under Age 20 by 2060, New Study Projects

The number of people under age 20 with type 2 diabetes in the U.S. is likely to surge by nearly 700 percent, or 7-fold, by the year 2060, according to a new modeling study published in Diabetes Care.

Moreover, the number of young people with type 1 diabetes could increase by as much as 65 percent in the next 40 years. Type 1 diabetes remains more common in U.S. youth, but type 2 diabetes has substantially increased among young people over the last two decades, states the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These findings come from the "SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth" study funded by the CDC and the National Institutes of Health.

Among the factors for the rise in type 2 diabetes: The increasing prevalence of childhood obesity. The presence of diabetes in people of childbearing age might be another important factor because maternal diabetes increases risk of diabetes in children, the CDC states in a news release on the study.

People with diabetes are at higher risk for heart disease or a stroke, diabetes complications, and premature death than those who do not have diabetes.

“This new research should serve as a wake-up call for all of us,” said Debra Houry, M.D., the CDC’s acting principal deputy director. “It’s vital that we focus our efforts to ensure all Americans, especially our young people, are the healthiest they can be. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored how critically important it is to address chronic diseases, like diabetes. This study further highlights the importance of continuing efforts to prevent and manage chronic diseases, not only for our current population but also for generations to come.”

Additionally, the analysis of the new data by race and ethnicity “predicted a higher burden of type 2 diabetes for Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Pacific Islander, and American Indian/Alaska Native youth,” the CDC states.

Here’s information on Diabetes Treatment Services at Baptist Health. For information on how to prevent type 2 diabetes, here’s more guidance from the CDC.  

For Those with Very High Blood Pressure, Heavy Coffee Drinking is Linked to Higher Risk of Death from Heart Issues

Previous studies have found regular consumption of coffee – in moderation – to be a heart-healthy habit. But a new study has found that two or more cups of coffee daily is associated with a higher risk of death from heart problems in people with “severe hypertension,” or very high blood pressure.

According to the study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, coffee drinkers with severe hypertension were about twice as likely to die from heart problems, compared to non-drinkers. The same higher risk did not occur in people with normal or slightly high blood pressure (a BP reading ranging from 130 to 139 systolic or 80 to 89 diastolic).

The study’s authors defined "very high" blood pressure as at least 160 mm Hg over at least 100 mm Hg.

A blood pressure reading measures the pressure in the arteries both when your heart beats (systolic blood pressure or the top number) and when your heart is at rest (diastolic blood pressure). High blood pressure occurs when your systolic blood pressure is at least 130 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) over a diastolic blood pressure of at least 80 mm Hg.

Researchers analyzed the health data of 18,609 participants aged 40 to 79. The study is considered the first to find a link between coffee drinking and death from heart disease in people with very high blood pressure.

Green tea consumption in any amount did not seem to have an impact on heart health, the study also found.

Home Air Purifiers Can Improve Health of COPD Sufferers, Research Finds

The use of portable, home air purifiers can help sufferers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers.

People with COPD often experience shortness of breath, chest tightness and chronic cough. Moreover, COPD is often accompanied by cardiovascular conditions such as arrythmias, heart failure -- and a higher risk of stroke and heart attack.

The new research, published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, is part of a larger Johns Hopkins-led project, the CLEAN AIR study, which examined the effects of indoor air pollution on COPD.

“We’ve seen that air pollution in the home, where people spend a majority of their time, contributes to impairments in respiratory health," said lead author Sarath Raju, M.D., M.P.H., an assistant professor of medicine who specializes in obstructive lung diseases at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in a statement. "We hypothesized this pollution is a big driver of cardiovascular disease and cardiac events in people with COPD."

Researchers recruited 85 men and women from the original CLEAN AIR study with COPD and an average age of 65. The participants lived primarily in the Baltimore area.

Of that group, 46 randomized participants received two portable air cleaners with HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) and carbon filters to use at home. Tthe other participants received placebo air cleaners that circulated air, but had the filters removed.

At the end of the six-month experiment, all 46 participants with active HEPA and carbon filters had "improved markers of heart health, specifically a 25 percent increase in heart rate variability," a statement said. Participants without the active filters saw no increase.

Heart rate variability, or HRV, is a common measure of heart health based primarily on the time fluctuations between heartbeats. A healthy heart is constantly adjusting its rate to meet the body’s physical demands, and as such, has a higher heart rate variability.