Children with a specific speech disorder could be at an increased risk of developing type two diabetes, according to a new study. Parents of kids who stutter or stammer might need to watch out for an entirely different condition in their adulthood. Israeli researchers have uncovered a surprising link between the common childhood speech issue and type 2 diabetes.
Stuttering or stammering is not uncommon in the realm of speech disorders, with around 80 million people worldwide struggling with their words. Their speech can be disrupted by repetitions, pauses, or stops, even though they know exactly what they want to say. The recent study, published in Diabetes/Metabolism Research and Reviews , tracked 866,000 individuals to investigate how stuttering impacted their long-term health.
The scientists found that those with speech issues were significantly more likely to have high blood sugar levels in adulthood. High blood sugar levels pose a significant risk for type two diabetes, and the study specifically discovered that teenage girls who stutter were up to 61% more likely to have elevated blood sugar levels compared to their peers without a speech disorder. Teenage boys in the same situation only faced an 18% increase in the chance of high blood sugar in adulthood.
The precise connection between stuttering and type 2 diabetes remains unknown. Some boffins reckon the link could be down to genetic factors, with some research suggesting that environmental factors like childhood tra.