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Updated: Jan 25, 2026

A Protocol for Constructing a Rat Wound Model of Type 1 Diabetes
Published on: February 17, 2023
Glycemic control and bone mineral density in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes
Gitte B Fuusager1,2,3, Henrik T Christesen1,2, Nikolaj Milandt4
1Hans Christian Andersen Children's Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
Background/Objective:
Fracture risk is increased in patients with type 1 diabetes. We aimed to evaluate bone mineral density (BMD) and to identify risk factors associated to lower BMD in Danish children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes.
Methods:
In this cross-sectional study BMD Z-score were determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) from a cohort of otherwise healthy children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Puberty Tanner stage, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), disease duration, and age at diabetes onset were investigated for associations to DXA results.
Results:
We included 85 patients, 39 girls, 46 boys, with a median (range) age of 13.2 (6-17) years; disease duration 4.2 (0.4-15.9) years; HbA1c of the last year 61.8 (41-106) mmol/mol. Our patients were taller and heavier than the background population. When adjusted for increased height SD and body mass index SD, no overall difference in BMD Z-score was found. When stratified by sex, boys had significantly increased adjusted mean BMD Z-score, 0.38 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.13;0.62), girls; -0.27 (95% CI: -0.53;0.00). For the whole cohort, a negative correlation between mean latest year HbA1c and BMD Z-score was found, adjusted ß -0.019 (95%CI: -0.034;-0.004, P = 0.01). Poor glycemic control (HbA1c > 58 mmol/mol [7.5%]) within the latest year was likewise negatively correlated with BMD Z-score, adjusted ß -0.35 (95%CI: -0.69;-0.014, P = 0.04).
Conclusions:
Our study suggests that elevated blood glucose has a negative effect on the bones already before adulthood in patients with type 1 diabetes, although no signs of osteoporosis were identified by DXA.
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