ESPE Abstracts

Background: Type 1 diabetes is the most common chronic disease in the childhood. As young patients have to live with diabetes most of their lives they have higher risk of complications. HbA1c has been approved as indicator of metabolic compensation in the guidelines. So if we control the level of HbA1c we can predict and avoid the early development of diabetes chronic complication.

Objective and hypotheses: The aim of the research was to explore the structure of complications of type 1 diabetes and its connection with metabolic compensation of diabetes. Hypothesis to prove: children in Latvia with type 1 diabetes have poor metabolic compensation.

Method: The methods used in the research were analysis of literature and statistical analysis of data taken from ambulatory cards of patients (age 0–18) with type 1 diabetes in year 2011–2012 using Microsoft Excel and SPSS.

Results: There were 317 patients of age 0–18 (average age 11.30±4.18 years) collected. It was found out that average HbA1c=9.3±2.18% and for 79% of patients it is higher than the standard mentioned in guidelines 7.5%. Worse situation is in age range 13–18 where 90% of patients have HbA1c >8%. 59% of patients have at least one complication. The most common chronic complication is lipohypertrofy (53% of patients). The earliest clinically apparent long-term complication is lipohypertrofy (in average 2.43 years after the manifestation) but the latest is diabetic retinopathy in average 10.4 years after the manifestation.

Conclusion: The results of the research lead to conclusion that hypothesis has been approved. The children in Latvia have poor compensation of diabetes that is closely related to the HbA1c that brings to earlier chronic diabetic complications, early evolution and patient’s life quality deterioration. Required National Diabetes program to improve diabetes care.