Background Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) is the most common metabolic disease in children. Growth parameters are important indicators of child´s health.

Objective To evaluate final height of patients with T1DM correlating the metabolic control and disease duration with growth and puberty.

Subjects and methods Retrospective analysis of a cohort of adolescents, aged between 15 and 18 years, with T1DM, followed up to final height at a tertiary Hospital clinic. The variables collected were: age, sex, height at diagnosis, final height, parents’ height, pubertal height gain, metabolic control during puberty (mean A1cHB). Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS®v20; results are presented as mean ± SD.

Results Forty six adolescents were included [59% male (M), 41% female (F)]. Mean age at diagnosis was 9.3 ± 3.5 years. Mean A1cHB was 8.15 ± 1.4. In 26 patients, T1DM was diagnosed before puberty; in these, the age at the onset of puberty was 10.8 ± 1.5 (M) and 9.2 ± 0.6 SD years (F). Height SDS at diagnosis was 0.5 ± 1.5 (M) and 0.35 ± 1.2 (F). Final height was -0.2 ± 1 (M) 0.08 ± 0.9 (F). Target height was -0.29 ± 1.1 (M) -0.02 ± 1 (F). Patients were significantly taller than their parents at diagnosis (p = 0,03), and lost height during follow up to final height (p = 0,004) yet final height was within target height (p = 0,3). There was no correlation between final height and metabolic control (p = 0,9) or duration of diabetes (p = 0,4).

Conclusion In spite of a taller stature at diagnosis and variable metabolic control, final height was not compromised, arguing against growth compromise being a major hallmark of deficient metabolic control.