Type 1 diabetes mellitus in adolescents.

The diagnosis and management of type 1 diabetes in adolescents present special challenges related to the unique hormonal and emotional milieu in the teenage years. Management of type 1 diabetes requires a multitude of life-long daily tasks that the child and/or family must perform to maintain a relatively healthy metabolism and glycemic control. Although in younger children these tasks are performed primarily by the care givers, in the teenage years the burden of diabetes management falls on the adolescents themselves. This review focuses on some of the unique aspects in the diagnosis and management of type 1 diabetes in adolescents, and the impact of pubertal changes on diabetes control, and presents an overview of general guidelines to aid health care providers in the acute and long-term care of these patients.