Predicting and preventing type 2 diabetes in children and teens

The PRIORITY Study: from PRedIctiOn to pReventIon of youth-onset TYpe 2 diabetes

NIH-funded research Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11285442

This project aims to find early warning signs and ways to prevent type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents, especially those with obesity or other risk factors.

Quick facts

Grant typeU01 cooperative agreement
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionJohns Hopkins University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Baltimore, United States)
Project IDNIH-11285442 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You would be followed from before or during puberty with regular clinic visits that include blood tests, glucose measures, and body measurements. The team will collect biological samples and information about diet, activity, mental health, and social environment to see how these factors relate to changing insulin sensitivity and beta-cell function. They will compare patterns in boys and girls and across different communities to find who is most likely to move from normal blood sugar to prediabetes or diabetes. This long-term follow-up aims to map the timeline of risk and spot targets that could be changed to prevent diabetes.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are children and adolescents—often with overweight or obesity or a family history of type 2 diabetes—who can be followed through puberty with periodic visits and tests.

Not a fit: People with long-standing, established type 2 diabetes or those unable to attend repeated visits are unlikely to get direct benefit from this prevention-focused project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help identify kids at highest risk earlier and point to prevention steps that stop type 2 diabetes before it starts.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have described risk factors in youth but few have followed children through puberty to successfully prevent type 2 diabetes, so this longitudinal approach is relatively novel.

Where this research is happening

Baltimore, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.