The risk of early cardiovascular disease in Lithuanian diabetic children and adolescents: a type 1 diabetes register database based study.

AIMS: The aim was to assess the frequency and correlates of selected cardiovascular disease risk factors among Lithuanian children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). METHODS: A cohort of 539 T1DM children was investigated. Total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglyceride (TG), glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) was determined. RESULTS: The mean of HbA1c was 8.5 ± 1.8%. Overweight was present in 72 (13.4%, 95% CI 10.6-16.9) and 113 (21.0%, 95% CI 17.5-25.3) had arterial hypertension. Hypercholesterolemia was diagnosed in 120 (22.3%; 95% CI 18.6-26.7), decreased HDL in 22 (4.1%; 95% CI 2.7-6.2), high LDL in 79 (14.7%; 95% CI 11.8-18.3), and high TG in 96 (17.8%, 95% CI 14.7-21.9) subjects. There were positive linear correlations between TG and high HbA1c levels (r=0.192; p<0.001), and between LDL and high HbA1c levels (r=0.238; p<0.001). Two cardiovascular risk factors were present 14.3%, three risk factors in 6.9%, four in 2.4% and five in 0.9%. The frequency of two cardiovascular risk factors was higher among 10-17-year-old T1DM patients than among 1-9-year-old children (27.0% vs. 13.3% respectively, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The frequency of cardiovascular risk factors is common in young people with T1DM and was associated with poor glycaemic control.

Serum hormone levels and anthropometric characteristics in girls with hyperandrogenism.

UNLABELLED: Polycystic ovary syndrome is considered to originate during puberty. The aim of this study was to investigate hormonal status in relationship to anthropometric data in girls with premature adrenarche and adolescent girls with hyperandrogenism, as these conditions are related to polycystic ovary syndrome in adulthood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 20 girls with premature adrenarche (aged 4.9-10.2 years), 21 postmenarcheal girls with hirsutism (aged 13.3-17.8 years), 2 groups (n=13 in each) of healthy volunteers of similar age and body mass index participated in the study. RESULTS: Serum testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate levels were significantly higher in all patients than in controls. Free androgen index and leptin levels were significantly higher, and sex-hormone-binding globulin lower in hirsute adolescents vs. controls. Birth weight standard deviation scores were comparable in all 4 groups. Serum dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate negatively correlated with birth weight standard deviation scores in the group of girls with premature adrenarche (r=-0.57, p<0.001). By linear regression, 76% in variation of serum leptin levels could be explained by subscapular skinfold thickness standard deviation scores, and by serum sex-hormone-binding globulin, insulin, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate levels in all participants. Mean age of onset of menarche was younger in hirsute girls vs. controls (12.1+/-1.3 vs. 13.5+/-1.3 years, p=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Inverse correlation of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate levels and weight at birth indicates relationship between premature adrenarche in girls and fetal growth. Higher leptin levels in adolescents with hyperandrogenism than in healthy girls show possible involvement of leptin in pathogenesis of hyperandrogenism.