TRENDS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF YOUNG POPULATION TYPE-2 DIABETES MELLITUS IN MALAYSIA: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55197/qjmhs.v5i1.195Keywords:
type 2 diabetes mellitus, young population diabetes, prevalence trends, MalaysiaAbstract
Type 2 diabetes mellitus is an increasing public health challenge in Malaysia, with national data showing a substantial rise in prevalence over the past decade. Of particular concern is the growing burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus among younger populations, which is associated with longer disease duration and a higher risk of complications. However, existing evidence remains fragmented due to heterogeneity in study designs and variations in the definitions of young populations. This systematic literature review aimed to synthesise available evidence on the trends and characteristics of type 2 diabetes mellitus among young populations in Malaysia, focusing on prevalence patterns, demographic and ethnic disparities, clinical characteristics, complications, and associated risk factors. A systematic literature review was conducted using secondary data from a precompiled evidence report generated through a semantic search of the academic literature. Studies were screened using predefined eligibility criteria for the age of the population, study design, and relevance to the epidemiology of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Malaysia. Eighteen studies published between 2016 and 2025 were included. Due to substantial heterogeneity across studies, findings were synthesised using a narrative approach. The review identified a consistent upward trend in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Malaysia, increasing from approximately 11–12% in the mid-2000s to 18.3% in 2019. Among younger populations, prevalence more than doubled between 2006 and 2015, with cases accounting for 11.0%-37.5% of all patients, depending on the study setting. Young population disease was characterised by higher obesity prevalence, poorer glycaemic control, and earlier development of microvascular complications. It marked ethnic disparities, with individuals of Indian ethnicity consistently exhibiting the highest prevalence. This review demonstrates a rapidly increasing burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus among young populations in Malaysia, characterised by adverse clinical profiles and significant demographic disparities.
References
[1] Akhtar, S., Nasir, J.A., Ali, A., Asghar, M., Majeed, R., Sarwar, A. (2022): Prevalence of type-2 diabetes and prediabetes in Malaysia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. – PloS One 17(1): 14p.
[2] Amsah, N., Isa, Z.M., Kassim, Z. (2022): Poor glycaemic control and its associated factors among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in southern part of peninsular Malaysia: A registry-based study. – Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences 10(E): 422-427.
[3] Awang, H., Muda, R., Rusli, N., Abd Rahman, M.A., Embong, K. (2022): Epidemiology of poor glycaemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Terengganu State of Malaysia. – European Journal of Medical and Health Sciences 4(5): 89-94.
[4] Chew, B.H., Lee, P.Y., Cheong, A.T., Ismail, M., Shariff-Ghazali, S., Goh, P.P. (2016): Messages from the Malaysian Diabetes Registries on Diabetes Care in Malaysian public healthcare facilities. – Primary Care Diabetes 10(5): 383-386.
[5] Foo, S.H., Lim, L.L., Mustafa, N., Raof, A.S.A., Ghani, R.A., Hussein, Z., Bidin, M.B.L., Noor, N.M., Samsuddin, S., Bebakar, W.M.W., Yong, S.L. (2023): YOUNG-ONSET TYPE 2 DIABETES FROM THE TARGET T2D STUDY COHORT IN MALAYSIA:: CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS, ASSOCIATION WITH METABOLIC CONTROL AND COMPLICATIONS. – Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies 38(S3): 17-17.
[6] Ganasegeran, K., Abdul Manaf, M.R., Safian, N., Waller, L.A., Mustapha, F.I., Abdul Maulud, K.N., Mohd Rizal, M.F. (2024): Neighborhood Influences on the Geography of Type 2 Diabetes in Malaysia: A Geospatial Modelling Study. – medRxiv 61p.
[7] Hasbullah, F.Y., Fong, K.Y., Ismail, A., Mitri, J., Yusof, B.N.M. (2021): A comparison of nutritional status, knowledge and type 2 diabetes risk among Malaysian young adults with and without family history of diabetes. – The Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences: MJMS 28(1): 12p.
[8] Ismail, H., Saminathan, T.A., Lourdes, T.G.R., Hasani, W.S.R., Ab Majid, N.L., Yusoff, M.F.M. (2025): Prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus and its Associated Factors among Adults in Malaysia: Findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019. – IIUM Medical Journal Malaysia 24(04): 11p.
[9] Kamal, N.H.M., Ismail, N.A., Widiasmoro, N. (2024): Explore knowledge, attitude and practice towards diabetes mellitus among youth in Klang Valley: A cross-sectional study. – Life Sciences, Medicine and Biomedicine 8(1): 13p.
[10] Kazlauskaite, R., Ellermeier, N., Ngongo, C., Chandran, A., Desai, P., Ritz, E., Nugent, R., Mustapha, F.I. (2023): Associations between type 2 diabetes subtypes and complications: analysis of the Malaysia National Diabetes Registry. – Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism 14(1): 1-12.
[11] Lee, H.W., Wong, G.L.H., Kwok, R., Choi, K.C., Chan, C.K.M., Shu, S.S.T., Leung, J.K.Y., Chim, A.M.L., Luk, A.O.Y., Ma, R.C.W., Chan, H.L.Y. (2020): Serial transient elastography examinations to monitor patients with type 2 diabetes: a prospective cohort study. – Hepatology 72(4): 1230-1241.
[12] Lingeswary, K., Tee, A.X., Ibrahim, W., Atiqah, S., Lee, T.L. (2024): A REVIEW OF CLINICAL PROFILE AND GLYCEMIC CONTROL OF PATIENTS WITH YOUNG-ONSET TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS ON INTENSIVE INSULIN THERAPY. – Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies 39(S1): 30-31.
[13] Lim, K.P., Foo, S.H., Liew, K.Y., Arumugam, K., Jaafar, N.M., Choo, Y.Z., Wong, Y.S. (2016): Microvascular and Macrovascular Complications in Young-onset Type 2 Diabetes in a Tertiary Health Institution in Malaysia in Comparison with Type 1 Diabetes Patients. – Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies 31(2): 125-125.
[14] Mohd Redzuan, N.H., Sulaiman, S.A., Abdul Murad, N.A., Ahmad, N., Lang, C.C., Jamal, R. (2025): Genetics of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Malaysia: a review. – Egyptian Journal of Medical Human Genetics 26(1): 13p.
[15] Oo, A.M., Al-abed, A.A.A.A., Lwin, O.M., Kanneppady, S.S., Sim, T.Y., Mukti, N.A., Zahariluddin, A.S., Jaffar, F. (2020): Type 2 diabetes mellitus prediction in Malaysia using modified diabetes risk assessment tool. – Malaysian Journal of Public Health Medicine 20(1): 15-21.
[16] Tan, N.C., Sankari, U., Ng, C.E., Koh, Y.L.E. (2022): Longitudinal study on the progression of muscle status among community-dwelling ambulatory older multiethnic Asians with type 2 diabetes mellitus. – BMC Geriatrics 22(1): 11p.
[17] Wan, K.S., Mustapha, F., Chandran, A., Ganapathy, S.S., Zakariah, N., Ramasamy, S., Subbarao, G.R., Mohd Yusoff, M.F. (2023): Baseline treatments and metabolic control of 288,913 type 2 diabetes patients in a 10-year retrospective cohort in Malaysia. – Scientific Reports 13(1): 10p.
[18] Wong, S.F., Yap, P.S., Mak, J.W., Chan, W.L.E., Khor, G.L., Ambu, S., Chu, W.L., Mohamad, M.S., Ibrahim Wong, N., Ab. Majid, N.L., Abd. Hamid, H.A. (2020): Association between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and prevalence of diabetes mellitus among Malaysian adults. – Environmental Health 19(1): 12p.
[19] Xie, J., Wang, M., Long, Z., Ning, H., Li, J., Cao, Y., Liao, Y., Liu, G., Wang, F., Pan, A. (2022): Global burden of type 2 diabetes in adolescents and young adults, 1990-2019: systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. – BMJ 13p.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 JOHARI DAUD MAKAJIL, DWI AGUSTINA, M Fahrin Azhar, MUTHMAINNAH MUTHMAINNAH, WINDA MAOLINDA
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
