Future bone frailty for diabetic teens

There is a possibility that adolescents with type 1 diabetes could also suffer from restricted bone development, a recent study reports. Although growth and maturation of the body may progress as normal, the lack of bone mineral deposited into the skeleton around puberty could cause problems in later life. The additional deposits during puberty are apparently thought to slow the development of the osteoporosis.
The study, published in the Journal of Pediatrics, was carried out by a research team at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA. The researchers studied a sample of 42 diabetics aged between 12 and 18, and then compared this sample with other healthy subjects of corresponding ages.
The researchers noted that normal bodily growth was similar between the groups, but diabetics suffered from lower bone mineral content. Also, the fact that annual gains in bone mineral content were lower in diabetics was recorded, and linked to poor control of blood glucose levels. The study suggested that diabetics had 8.5% less whole body bone mineral.
Further research for the team will aim to investigate what this actually means for diabetes sufferers in later life. This would include analysing the likelihood of osteoporosis and linking it to poor glucose control around puberty.