Pediatric Diabetes

Background. Sleep and physical activity affect overall health. In youth with type 1 diabetes (T1DM), they may improve glycemic control. Data from low-income countries are lacking. Objective. To describe sleep and activity in Haitian children and youth with T1DM, and examine their impact on glycemic control, health-related quality of life (HRQL), and life satisfaction (LS). Methods. This cross-sectional study in Haiti included people with T1DM aged 8–25 years. Wristbands (Mi Band 3) tracked activity (step count and activity time) and sleep (sleep duration, light sleep, and deep sleep). The Diabetes Quality of Life in Youth (DQOLY) questionnaire was used to evaluate HRQL and LS. Point-of-care (POC) hemoglobin A1c values were recorded. Linear regression was used to assess the relationship between sleep, activity, HbA1c, HRQL, and LS. Results. We included 66 participants (59% female, mean age 17.8 ± 4.8 years, mean diabetes duration 3.7 ± 3.4 years, and mean BMI Z-score −0.86 ± 1.1). Mean HRQL was 63/100, and mean LS was 65/100. Mean HbA1c was 11.3%. Maximum HbA1c measure was 14% on the POC machine, and 23 participants (35%) had HbA1c recorded as 14%. Mean daily step count was 7,508 ± 3,087, and mean sleep duration was 7 h31 ± 1 h17. When excluding participants with HbA1c ≥ 14%, shorter sleep duration was significantly associated with higher HbA1c (). Sleep duration and step count were not associated with HRQL or LS. Conclusions. Children and youth with T1DM in Haiti have poor glycemic control and low HRQL and LS. Their sleep and activity habits are similar to peers. While activity did not affect HbA1c, HRQL, or LS, shorter sleep duration was associated with higher HbA1c in participants with HbA1c < 14%. Prospective studies with larger sample sizes are needed to validate our findings.

Background and Aim. Early diabetes education for persons with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is important to achieve early glycemic control. We had developed a dietary structured education program (SEP) to provide patients with the required skills for optimal diabetes management. Our aim was to study the effect of our program and factors that might affect its outcomes. Methods. This is a retrospective medical chart review study at Jordan University Hospital. The glycemic control of children who were diagnosed with T1D and included in the SEP between June 2017 and December 2019, was compared with those who were exposed to the conventional diabetes education, between January 2014 and December 2016. Various factors were assessed for the possible effects on the SEP outcomes. Results. The average age at diagnosis for the 112 persons with diabetes (PwD) included in the dietary SEP was 8.30 ± 3.87 years. Glycated hemoglobin was lower in children in the SEP group at 6 months ( value = 0.001) and 12 months () but not at 24 months (). SEP had better effect on patients older than 5 years. The possible predictors of glycemic control for the SEP group at 12 months included the mother’s educational level and the number of hospital admissions due to DKA and hyperglycemia during the first year after diagnosis. Conclusion. Our dietary SEP was associated with better glycemic control than conventional diabetes education, at 6 and 12 months after diagnosis. It had a positive effect, mainly in PwD patients who are older than 5 years and had higher maternal educational level.

Introduction. The relationship of HbA1c versus the mean blood glucose (MBG) is an important guide for diabetes management but may differ between ethnic groups. In Africa, the patient’s glucose information is limited or unavailable and the management is largely guided by HbA1c. We sought to determine if the reference data derived from the non-African populations led to an appropriate estimation of MBG from HbA1c for the East African patients. Methods. We examined the relationship of HbA1c versus MBG obtained by the continuous glucose monitoring in a group of East African youth having type 1 diabetes in Kenya and Uganda (n = 54) compared with the data obtained from A1c-derived average glucose (ADAG) and glucose management indicator (GMI) studies. A self-identified White (European heritage) population of youth (n = 89) with type 1 diabetes, 3–18 years old, living in New Orleans, LA, USA metropolitan area (NOLA), was studied using CGM as an additional reference. Results. The regression equation for the African cohort was MBG (mg/dL) = 32.0 + 16.73 × HbA1c (%), r = 0.55, . In general, the use of the non-African references considerably overestimated MBG from HbA1c for the East African population. For example, an HbA1c = 9% (74.9 mmol/mol) corresponded to an MBG = 183 mg/dL (10.1 mmol/L) in the East African group, but 212 mg/dL (11.7 mmol/L) using ADAG, 237 mg/dL (13.1 mmol/L) using GMI and 249 mg/dL (13.8 mmol/L) using NOLA reference. The reported occurrence of serious hypoglycemia among the African patients in the year prior to the study was 21%. A reference table of HbA1c versus MBG from the East African patients was generated. Conclusions. The use of non-African-derived reference data to estimate MBG from HbA1c generally led to the overestimation of MBG in the East African patients. This may put the East African and other African patients at higher risk for hypoglycemia when the management is primarily based on achieving target HbA1c in the absence of the corresponding glucose data.

The prevalence of overweight and obesity in youth with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) now exceeds that of youth without T1D. Comorbid T1D and excess adiposity are associated with multiple serious negative health outcomes. Unfortunately, youth with T1D are often excluded from and/or not referred to standard behavioral lifestyle interventions. This is often attributed to the complexities of managing T1D and an effort not to overburden persons who have T1D. Furthermore, standard behavioral weight management intervention recommendations can be perceived as contradicting T1D disease management (e.g., removing sugar-sweetened beverages from diet, energy balance with exercise, and caloric restriction). A weight management intervention specifically designed for youth with T1D is needed to provide treatment to youth with comorbid T1D and overweight/obesity. The current study interviewed adolescents with T1D and overweight/obesity (n = 12), their caregivers (n = 12), and pediatric endocrinologists (n = 9) to understand (a) whether they would be interested in a weight management intervention adapted for youth with T1D and (b) specific adaptations they would want and need. Five central themes emerged following applied thematic analysis: (1) program content, (2) programmatic messaging, (3) program structure, (4) social support, and (5) eating disorder risk. Results provide detailed recommendations for the adaptation of a behavioral weight management intervention for youth with T1D.

Background. In cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD) screening, oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) thresholds for detecting prediabetes and diabetes are defined by the 2-hour glucose (2 hG). Intermediate OGTT glucoses, between 0 and 2 hours, that are ≥200 mg/dL are deemed “indeterminate,” although lower 1-hour glucose (1 hG) thresholds identify those at increased risk of type 2 diabetes in other populations, and may also better predict clinical decline in CF. Studies of 1 hG thresholds <200 mg/dL in people with CF are limited. Methods. A single center, retrospective chart review was performed of patients with 1 hG available on OGTTs collected between 2010 and 2019. In patients with ≥2 OGTTs, Kaplan–Meier analysis estimated likelihood of progression to CFRD based on a high vs. low 1 hG. In patients with ≥1 OGTT, mixed-effects models tested whether baseline 1 hG and 2 hG predicted growth and lung function trajectories. Results. A total of 243 individuals with CF were identified with at least 1 OGTT including a 1 hG, and n = 177 had ≥2 OGTTs. Baseline age (mean ± SD) was 12.4 ± 2.6 years with 3.2 ± 1.4 years of follow-up. Twenty-eight developed CFRD. All who developed CFRD had a 1 hG ≥ 155 mg/dL prior to 2 hG > 140 mg/dL. The average 1 hG was 267 mg/dL when 2 hG ≥ 200 mg/dL. In a subset with baseline 2 hG < 140 mg/dL, 1 hG ≥ 140 mg/dL conferred an increased 5 years risk of CFRD (). Baseline 2 hG predicted decline in FEV1%predicted, but 1 hG did not. Conclusions. In youth with CF, 1 hG ≥ 140 mg/dl is an early indicator of CFRD risk. However, 2 hG, rather than 1 hG, predicted lung function decline.

Objective. Youth with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) are at risk for experiencing nighttime hypoglycemia, and many parents report significant anxiety at night regarding glucose management. Limited data exist examining continuous nighttime glucose levels as a predictor of parent fear of nighttime hypoglycemia. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between parent fear of nighttime hypoglycemia and nighttime blood glucose levels as measured by continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). Methods. A sample of 136 parents/caregivers of youth with T1D completed a one-time survey and youth provided 14 days of CGM data. We conducted regression models with mean nighttime glucose value, glycemic variability, and the percent of nighttime glucose values in the hypoglycemic, target, and hyperglycemic range as the independent variable and parents’ fear of nighttime hypoglycemia as the dependent variable. Results. Overnight hypoglycemia measured via CGM did not predict parents’ fear of nighttime hypoglycemia; however, average youth nighttime glucose levels and nighttime glycemic variability were significant predictors of parents’ fear of nighttime hypoglycemia. Conclusions. The results of the present study indicate that parents of youth with T1D may report higher fear of hypoglycemia if they observe increased fluctuations in their child’s nighttime glucose levels, regardless of how often their child’s glucose levels are in the hypoglycemic range. The results suggest that clinicians may consider screening for parent fear of nighttime hypoglycemia in families of youth who present with large variability in their glucose values overnight.