ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: To achieve glycemic control goals in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D), they are instructed in three fundamental principles: diet, insulin therapy and physical activity. Physical activity recommendations for children and adolescents with T1D are the same as for the general population. Following the physical activity recommendations helps mitigate the increased cardiovascular risk inherent to DM. We set out to explore the degree of glycemic control in relation to physical exercise performed by our patients with T1D.

Methods: We carried out an observational, descriptive and cross-sectional study in which we included pediatric patients with T1D from two University Hospitals. The participants answered the questionnaire on physical activity in children (PAQ-c) after signing the informed consent. We also recorded their demographic, anthropometric and metabolic control data on the same day they answered the survey. A PAQ-c score > 2.5 was considered as adequate physical activity. We follow the ISPAD and ADA criteria for the objective of metabolic control in capillary HbA1<7.0.

Results: We recruited 93 patients (45 girls; 48.4%), age average 12.2 (2.81) years old and T1D evolution of 5.77 (3.48) years. The mean BMI z-score was 0.45 (1). 6 children were obese, 30 (32.3%) were prepuberal, 38 (41.3%) had tanner 5 and 38 (40.1%) were on hybrid closed-loop insulin pumps. The average Hb1Ac(%) was 7.2 (0.71). 39 (42.4) had Hb1Ac<7.0%. 29 patients (33.9%) had Time in rage >70%. The mean PAQ-c score was 2.52(0.54); 49 patients (54.8%), had a PAQ-c Score > 2.5. In the contingency study, the groups with c-PAQ >2.5 had higher proportion of patients with Hb1<7.0% (31/39 (64.6%) vs 8/44 (18.2%); P<0.001) and in Time in range > 70% (20/39 (41.2%) vs 9/44 (22%); P=0.180) with no differences in average time in hypoglycemia (3.2(0.4) vs. 3.7(0.6); P-value= 0.323)

Conclusion: Patients performing sufficient physical activity are more likely to meet HbA1 and TIR goals than those who do not, without increased odds of hypoglycaemia.