America's tweens more than doubled their use of type-2 diabetes medications between 2002 and 2005, with girls between 10 and 14 years of age showing a 166 percent increase. The likely cause: Obesity, which is closely associated with Type 2 diabetes.
The finding is included in a study of chronic medication use in children 5 to 19 reported today at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association by researchers from the Saint Louis University School of Medicine and School of Public Health and pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts. In addition to diabetes, utilization patterns for blood pressure, cholesterol, asthma and depression medications were also examined.
"Across every chronic medication class we examined over this four year period of time, children's use increased, with varying patterns of growth across males and females and age groups," said Emily R. Cox, PhD, RPh, senior director of research at Express Scripts.
The finding is included in a study of chronic medication use in children 5 to 19 reported today at the annual meeting of the American Public Health Association by researchers from the Saint Louis University School of Medicine and School of Public Health and pharmacy benefit manager Express Scripts. In addition to diabetes, utilization patterns for blood pressure, cholesterol, asthma and depression medications were also examined.
"Across every chronic medication class we examined over this four year period of time, children's use increased, with varying patterns of growth across males and females and age groups," said Emily R. Cox, PhD, RPh, senior director of research at Express Scripts.
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