Mengdie Chen,1 Ping Feng,1 Yao Liang,2 Xun Ye,3 Yiyun Wang,2 Qiao Liu,1 Chaoyin Lu,1 Qidong Zheng,2 Lijing Wu2 

1Department of Endocrinology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Internal Medicine, Yuhuan Second People’s Hospital, Yuhuan, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Endocrinology, Hangzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, People’s Republic of China

Correspondence: Lijing Wu, Department of Internal Medicine, Yuhuan Second People’s Hospital, No.77, Environmental Protection Middle Road, Chu Men Town, Yuhuan, Zhejiang, 317600, People’s Republic of China, Tel: +86-13777603508, Email 13777603508@163.com

Purpose: This study was developed with the goal of clarifying whether there is any relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) age of onset and clinical outcomes for patients in National Metabolic Management Centers (MMC).
Patients and Methods: From September 2017 - June 2022, 864 total T2DM patients were recruited in MMC and assigned to those with early-onset and late-onset diabetes (EOD and LOD) based on whether their age at disease onset was ≤ 40 or > 40 years. All patients received standardized management. Baseline and 1-year follow-up data from these two groups of patients were assessed. Associations between onset age and other factors were evaluated with a multivariate linear regression approach, adjusting for appropriate covariates. Outcomes in particular subgroups were also assessed in stratified analyses.
Results: Markers of dysregulated glucose metabolism and BMI values were significantly higher among EOD patients as compared to LOD patients. Subjects in both groups exhibited significant improvements in several disease-related parameters on 1-year follow-up after undergoing metabolic management. EOD patients exhibited significantly greater percentage reductions in HbA1c levels (− 28.49 (− 44.26, − 6.45)% vs − 13.70 (− 30.15,-1.60)%, P =0.017) relative to LOD patients following adjustment for confounders. Significant differences were also detected between these groups when focused on subgroups of patients who were male, exhibited a BMI ≥ 25, an HbA1c ≥ 9, or had a follow-up frequency < 2.
Conclusion: Data from a 1-year follow-up time point suggest that a standardized metabolic disease management model can promote effective metabolic control in newly diagnosed T2DM patients, particularly among individuals with EOD.

Keywords: age of onset, disease management, type 2 diabetes