Final Height and Pubertal Timing in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: A Comparative Study

Abstract

This study investigated final height (FH) achievement in adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) compared with healthy controls and examined diabetes-related determinants of FH. This retrospective, single-center study evaluated FH-standard deviation score (SDS) adjusted for target height (TH) and corrected FH-SDS (cFH-SDS) in 69 adolescents with T1D diagnosed before the age of 13 and followed for at least four years after diagnosis, compared with 66 matched healthy controls. Mean final height and TH were significantly higher in the T1D group than in controls (p=0.012 and p=0.025, respectively). However, no significant differences were observed between groups in FH-SDS, TH-SDS, or cFH-SDS, indicating comparable height achievement relative to genetic potential. The onset of puberty occurred at a significantly more advanced age in adolescents with T1D compared with controls (p=0.002). cFH-SDS was significantly higher in patients with tight metabolic control than in those with poor control (p=0.048). A significant positive correlation was observed between cFH-SDS and TH-SDS (r=0.280, p=0.001). No associations were found between cFH-SDS and diabetes duration, age at diagnosis, hemoglobin A1c levels, continuous glucose monitoring use, or diabetic ketoacidosis frequency. Adolescents with T1D achieved final height consistent with their genetic height potential and comparable to healthy controls, despite delayed pubertal timing. Tight metabolic control may confer a clinically relevant benefit in final height achievement.