New research indicates that many U.S. children as young as 13 may have risk factors for type 2 diabetes, the form of the disease once considered a problem of older adults.

The study, of 1,740 eighth-graders at 12 U.S. schools, found that half were overweight or on the verge of becoming overweight - one of the main risk factors for type 2 diabetes.

In addition, 41 percent had elevated blood sugar levels when tests were taken after a fast, while 36 percent had high levels of insulin, a hormone that helps process blood sugar. Higher-than-normal insulin and blood sugar levels signal that the body is becoming resistant to insulin, a precursor to type 2 diabetes.

Few children in the study had actual diabetes, but the level of risk factors was “very high,” said study co-author Dr. Francine Kaufman of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She and her colleagues report the findings in the journal Diabetes Care.

The study included a large number of Hispanic and Native American children - ethnic groups that have a particularly high rate of type 2 diabetes - and these students had the highest fasting blood sugar levels.

The findings add to evidence that excess pounds and inactivity are putting more and more U.S. children, particularly minorities, at risk of diabetes, Kaufman told Reuters Health.

“This really screams for us to do comprehensive prevention,” she said.

That can include healthier foods and a return to physical activity at school, according to Kaufman, as well as efforts in the community - like creating safe places for children to get some exercise - and at home.

The earlier people develop diabetes, Kaufman noted, the earlier they may develop serious complications like heart disease, kidney failure and nerve damage, making prevention particularly important for young people.

SOURCE: Diabetes Care, February 2006.