Prevalence of overweight and obesity in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Currently, there is a growing incidence of diabetes mellitus and obesity. Objective . To determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Materials and methods . The study included 313 patients (245 under 14 years old, 68 adolescents aged 15–17 years) with type 1 diabetes mellitus. At the first stage, a single-stage observational study was conducted to assess the prevalence of obesity and excess body weight in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus. The second stage was a retrospective study to evaluate body weight at the onset of 1 diabetes mellitus in patients with excess body weight and obesity after 5 years of the disease. Results . 68 (21.7%) patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus were overweight, and 32 (10.2%) had obesity of varying degrees. There was no difference in the incidence of obesity and excess body weight in children of different age groups: the incidence of obesity was 9.8% and 11.8%, and excess body weight was 22.9% and 17.6%, respectively. After 5 years of type 1 diabetes mellitus disease in all age groups, the prevalence of obesity increases 2.6 times, increasing from 5.4% to 14.3% (p=0.077), excess body weight — from 10.8% to 28.6%, respectively (p=0.030). Retrospective analysis found, that the most patients, with excess body weight prevalence of type 1 diabetes mellitus (58.3%), at the 1st year of the disease was determined normal body weight, which was increased to excess (p<0.001). Additionally, in 50% of patients who developed obesity after five years of type 1 diabetes mellitus, overweight was already present in the first year of the disease (p=0.030) and later progressed to obesity. Conclusion . Given the increasing prevalence of obesity in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus, as well as the increased risk of cardiometabolic and other complications in such patients, special attention should be paid to the development of effective strategies for the management and prevention of obesity in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.