Teen High Blood Sugar & Heart Damage Risk (Females at Higher Risk)
- New research indicates that persistently elevated blood sugar and insulin resistance during adolescence can significantly heighten the risk of heart damage as individuals transition into young adulthood.
- The study tracked 1,595 adolescents from the University of Bristol’s "Children of the 90s" cohort from age 17 to 24.
- At age 17, 6.2% of participants had a fasting blood sugar level of ≥5.6 mmol/L; by age 24, this figure had jumped nearly fivefold to 26.9%.
Elevated blood sugar and insulin resistance during teenage years considerably raise the risk of heart damage in young adults. A new study reveals a concerning trend: prediabetes prevalence surged nearly fivefold between ages 17 and 24. Researchers also noted a threefold increase in heart enlargement and a rise in heart dysfunction. The findings highlight how high blood sugar,a primarykeyword,persistently impacts the heart,with females potentially facing accelerated damage. Insulin resistance, a secondarykeyword, compounds the danger, emphasizing the need for early awareness. News Directory 3 is committed to bringing you critical updates on health. Discover what preventative measures are on the horizon to protect the heart health of young people.
High Blood Sugar, Insulin Resistance Linked to Heart Damage in Young Adults
Updated June 08, 2025
New research indicates that persistently elevated blood sugar and insulin resistance during adolescence can significantly heighten the risk of heart damage as individuals transition into young adulthood. The collaborative study, featured in Diabetes Care, involved researchers from institutions across the U.S., Switzerland, Australia, the U.K., and Finland.
The study tracked 1,595 adolescents from the University of Bristol’s “Children of the 90s” cohort from age 17 to 24. Researchers assessed prediabetes using two fasting blood glucose cutoffs: ≥5.6 mmol/L, as recommended by the American Diabetes Association, and ≥6.1 mmol/L, a standard in many countries.
At age 17, 6.2% of participants had a fasting blood sugar level of ≥5.6 mmol/L; by age 24, this figure had jumped nearly fivefold to 26.9%. Using the ≥6.1 mmol/L threshold, the prevalence increased from 1.1% to 5.6% over the same period.
Researchers also observed a threefold increase in excessive heart enlargement (left ventricular hypertrophy),rising from 2.4% at age 17 to 7.1% at age 24. Heart dysfunction also increased, from 9.2% to 15.8%.
The study found that persistent fasting blood sugar of ≥5.6 mmol/L was linked to a 46% greater risk of left ventricular hypertrophy.This risk tripled when fasting blood sugar was persistently ≥6.1 mmol/L. Elevated blood glucose also impaired heart muscle relaxation, altered normal heart function, and increased blood flow pressure returning to the heart. Persistent insulin resistance was associated with a 10% increased risk of premature heart damage. During the study, increased glucose levels contributed more to cardiac mass increase in females than in males.
“Earlier results from the same cohort indicate that late adolescence is a critical period in the evolution of cardiometabolic diseases. The current findings further confirm that even healthy-looking adolescents and young adults who are mostly normal weight may be on a path towards cardiovascular diseases, if they have high blood glucose and insulin resistance. Surprisingly, we observed that high blood sugar may aggressively damage females’ hearts five times faster than males’; therefore, special attention should be paid to girls in terms of prevention,” said Andrew Agbaje, of the University of Eastern Finland.
According to Agbaje, increased fat mass explains two-thirds of the effect of insulin resistance on excessive heart enlargement. The fivefold increase in prediabetes prevalence highlights the importance of lifestyle and dietary habits after adolescents gain independence.
What’s next
future research will likely focus on interventions and preventative measures to address the rising rates of prediabetes and insulin resistance in adolescents, with a particular emphasis on the unique risks faced by young women.