ESPE Abstracts

Introduction: Chronic diseases such as type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) may alter linear growth, but previous reports regarding growth in children with T1DM has been inconsistent. This study aims to investigate height and growth velocity of T1DM patients after diagnosis of diabetes and whether they are affected by various factors.

Methods: This retrospective study, included 151 patients (male, 45.0%; mean age at diagnosis, 7.8±3.6 years old) diagnosed with T1DM in Severance Children’s hospital. Diabetic patients with thyroid disease, celiac disease, or any other chronic diseases were excluded. We compared mean of height standard deviation score (SDS) and growth velocity between groups divided based on HbA1c levels, continuous glucose monitoring system (CGM) application, and diabetic complications.

Results: The mean height SDS was higher in the well-controlled group (HbA1c < 7 %) than poorly controlled group (HbA1c ≥ 7 %). In addition, T1DM patients with CGM had a higher height SDS than patients without CGM. The growth velocity decreased for the first year after diagnosis in both groups, while growth velocity increased afterward in patients who applied CGM. There was no significant difference of height SDS and growth velocity between groups divided by presence of chronic complications. In linear regression model, differences between height SDS at diagnosis and 5 years after diagnosis was positively correlated with height at onset of diabetes (p < 0.001) and mid parental height (P= 0.001), and negatively with mean HbA1c levels (P= 0.001).

Conclusion: Based on the findings, good glycemic control and use of CGM positively affects linear growth of T1DM patients.