Abstract P147: Glycemic Control and Weight in a Pediatric Diabetes Clinic Over Time: Gender Differences in Children With Type 1 Diabetes Between the Ages of 9-17 Years

Abstract

Research shows women with type 1 diabetes (T1D) face a disproportionately increased risk for development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to men. We posit, adolescence may be a critical time period for CVD risk development. Our study examined the effects on gender differences in Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and Body Mass Index z-score (BMIz) across puberty in children with T1D in a large pediatric diabetes specialty clinic. A total of 733 T1D children (M=355, F=378) aged 9-17 with a total of 21,534 visits from the Barbara Davis Center were suitable for this retrospective cohort study. To exam HbA1c and BMIz overtime by gender we used a linear mixed model with SAS version 9.4. HbA1c increased with age in both genders (p<0.0001), but there was a greater increase in girls across adolescence (sex by age interaction, p<0.0007). BMIz increased with age in girls only (sex by age interaction, p<0.0001). Teenagers had worse glycemic control than younger children, and girls had worse glycemic control with greater obesity rates than boys. This gender difference in glycemic control and obesity during puberty may explain the increased CVD risk seen in women with T1D compared to men.