Linear Growth and Final Height in People With Type 1 Diabetes: A Study From Karachi, Pakistan

Objective In this study, we aimed to determine the linear growth and final height in children/adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) at a tertiary care hospital. Methodology This observational study was conducted at the Baqai Institute of Diabetology and Endocrinology (BIDE), Baqai Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan. All children/adolescents diagnosed with T1DM of either gender aged between 8-18 years visiting the outpatient department of BIDE were included after obtaining informed consent. A predesigned questionnaire was developed to record data. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) growth chart was plotted and growth velocity was checked every six months to observe the linear growth. The final height was compared with the targeted height of the respective participants. Results A total of 66 people participated in the study (24 males and 42 females); among them, the mean age at diagnosis was 11.17 ± 4.77 years, and the duration of diabetes [median (IQR)] at the first visit was one year (0-3). The mean age at menarche was noted to be 13.56 ± 1.41 years. The overall height [standard deviation score (SDS)] at the first visit was -0.62 ± 2.58 and it was -1.34 ± 0.94 at the last visit; the overall weight at the first visit (SDS) and at the last visit was -1.23 ± 2.77 and -1.14 ± 1.25 respectively. Furthermore, the overall mid-parental height was 160.9 5 ± 10.28 cm, and 50% of males and 85.7% of females achieved genetic target height with a significant difference between them (p = 0.002). Conclusion A large number of people with TIDM were not able to achieve their target height. Therefore, it is imperative to monitor metabolic control along with monitoring of growth in young people with T1DM.