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Diabetes microvascular complications in prepubertal children
K C Donaghue1, J M Fairchild, A Chan
1Ray Williams Institute of Paediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism : JPEM
|February 19, 1998
Summary
Early diabetes complications like retinopathy and kidney issues are present in some prepubertal children. Higher cholesterol and lower DHEAS were linked to retinopathy, while higher diastolic blood pressure was linked to kidney issues.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Endocrinology
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Type 1 diabetes (T1D) microvascular complications can begin in childhood.
- Understanding early risk factors in prepubertal children is crucial for long-term T1D management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report baseline findings on microvascular complications in prepubertal children with T1D.
- To identify potential early indicators of complications before puberty.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of baseline data from 68 prepubertal children in a longitudinal T1D study.
- Assessment of retinopathy via 7-field stereoscopic fundus photography.
- Measurement of albumin excretion rate (AER) from three overnight urine collections.
Main Results:
- 9% of children had mild nonproliferative retinopathy, associated with higher total cholesterol and lower DHEAS.
- 8% had elevated AER (>7.5 µg/min), linked to higher diastolic blood pressure.
- Mean HbA1c was 8.4%, with a median diabetes duration of 3.6 years.
Conclusions:
- Microvascular complications are detectable in prepubertal children with T1D.
- Cholesterol, DHEAS, and blood pressure may be early indicators of complication risk.
- Further longitudinal analysis will clarify the role of these prepubertal factors.