Delayed Puberty in Male Adolescents: A Novel Risk Factor for Early-Onset Type 2 Diabetes

Highlights

• Delayed puberty in male adolescents is associated with a significantly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes by early adulthood.
• The hazard ratio for type 2 diabetes was 2.47 in those with delayed puberty, remaining at 1.37 even after adjusting for baseline body mass index (BMI).
• This nationwide study suggests that delayed pubertal onset is not merely a benign developmental variation but may serve as an early clinical marker for metabolic impairment.

The Rising Challenge of Early-Onset Metabolic Disease