I am a 17 year old female, I have always been a perfectly healthy, active, I am not overweight, and there is no family history of diabetes, but I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes about a week ago. So, even my endocrinologist was a bit confused and told me I was an “atypical” case. What are other causes for type 2 diabetes to show up in a perfectly healthy 17 year old girl?

The question is whether or not you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Did your doctors do antibody tests (islet cell antibodies and GAD antibody)? If positive, this would suggest you had a type of type 1, not type 2. If you had high blood pressure, Acanthosis Nigricans, extra androgens or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, then you may have type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is usually in overweight people but not always.

If you are working with board certified diabetes/endocrine team, you should get some more information about why they said you had atypical diabetes. If you are not working with such specialists, then you may want a referral to one get these types of answers. Either way, controlling your blood glucose levels should be your goal.

SB