Bone Abstracts

Objective: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (TIDM) has been shown to adversely affect bone health in children. Hence, objective was to assess bone health status of children with T1DM, and to assess relationship between bone status and disease duration.

Methods: Bone mineral content for total body (less head) (TBBMC) and lumbar spine was measured by DXA in 47 (25 boys) children with T1DM. Z-scores for TBBMC for bone area (TBBA), TBBA for height, lean body mass (LBM) for height, TBBMC for LBM and lumbar spine bone mineral apparent density (LSBMAD) were computed reference data (Bone 2011 48 (4) 810–819).

Results: Mean age was 10.9±2.5 years, height Z-scores were −1.1±1.2 (32% below −2 S.D.); duration of diabetes was 2.7±3 years, glycosylated hemoglobin was 9.1±2.2%. Mean Z-scores for total body (TBBMC for TBBA, TBBA for height, LBM for height, TBBMC for LBM) were within normal range for all; in contrast, mean LSBAMD Z-score was −5.2±0.8. Children were divided according to median for disease duration; children with diabetes for >1.5 years had significantly lower LSBMAD scores (−5.0±0.7 vs −5.5±0.8, P<0.05, Fig. 1). 71% children with diabetes for >1.5 years had LSBMAD Z-scores lower than the median values (Z-score=−5.1). Whereas 64% children who had diabetes for <1.5 years had LSBMAD Z-scores above −5.1. Further, boys had significantly lower LSBMAD Z-scores (−5.5±0.8 vs −4.9±0.6) whereas the LBM for height Z-scores in girls were significantly lower than in boys (−0.2±0.8 vs −0.3±0.9, P<0.05).

Conclusion: Children with T1DM with longer duration had lower bone mineral content at the lumbar spine possibly due to trabecular bone loss.