Treatment of Youth‐Onset Type 2 Diabetes: Focus on SGLT‐2 Inhibitor Use

The upward trajectory of childhood and adolescent type 2 diabetes (T2D; youth‐onset T2D) is a global health issue, disproportionately affecting non‐white, ethnically diverse, and socioeconomically disadvantaged subgroups. Youth‐onset T2D displays a more aggressive phenotype, with faster disease progression and earlier onset of severe complications when compared to adult‐onset T2D. Despite this, the therapeutic options for the management of youth‐onset T2D have historically been limited. Over the last few years, multiple new therapies across a range of drug classes, including glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists (GLP‐1 RAs) and sodium–glucose cotransporter‐2 (SGLT‐2) inhibitors, have been approved for use in youth‐onset T2D. Despite this, patient recruitment to pediatric and adolescent trials remains a major challenge in youth‐onset T2D, and there is currently a lack of large‐scale, long‐term clinical evidence for new treatment classes in this patient population. In this review, we provide an overview of the current treatment landscape in youth‐onset T2D and summarize the available clinical data for SGLT‐2 inhibitors in patients with youth‐onset T2D, based on a targeted literature search.