Five-year observation of the relationship between body mass index and glycated hemoglobin in children with Type 1 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Background: Poor metabolic control is a well-recognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, the relationship between such factor as body weight and metabolic control in children with diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) is unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between body weight, age, metabolic control, sex, and form of insulin therapy in children with DM1.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of children with DM1 treated at one diabetes center for a minimum of 5 years since diagnosis.

Results: Median body mass index standard deviation score (BMI-SDS) increased annually (p = .0042) on average 0.08 ± 0.27 per year throughout the observation. As well HbA1c and daily dose insulin increased annually (p < .0001; p < .0001, respectively) on average by 0.43 ± 0.79 and by 0.13 ± 0.17 per year. Percentage of good metabolic control – HbA1c cut-off of 6.5% – gradually worsened in all patients over the 5 years, with a higher percentage of girls experiencing poor metabolic control (84.48% of girls vs. 77.87% of boys; p = .01895). No correlation between BMI-SDS and metabolic control (HbA1c) was found (R = 0.09, p = .60).

Conclusions: Body weight appears to be more affected by non-diabetic factors (e.g. irregular eating and sedentary lifestyle) than by the clinical course of diabetes. Metabolic control and body weight must be maintained in all children with DM1 (males and females) to reduce their future risk of cardiovascular disease.

Keywords:

• Body mass index
• diabetes mellitus type 1
• metabolic control
• HbA1c

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Beata Małachowska received financial support from the FIRST TEAM project financed from the Smart Growth Operational Programme and coordinated by the Foundation for Polish Science.