T1DM and Bone Health in Children and Adolescents Version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The effects of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus on the bone health of children and adolescents
IRAS ID
144961
Contact name
S Faisal Ahmed
Contact email
Research summary
Increasing evidence has suggested that relatively young adults with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) have a substantially increased risk of fractures. Own own studies suggest that young adults with T1DM, diagnosed during childhood have bone qualities that are different from that of healthy adults. Normally most bone development occurs during childhood and adolescence and peak bone mass is achieved at the end of adolescence. It is, therefore, possible that in children with T1DM, bone development is affected at an early stage and this needs further investigation.
Our research aim is to use a combination of imaging and biochemical measures to assess bone health in two groups of children and young people with T1DM. These two groups will include those with newly diagnosed T1DM and those with established T1DM. The newly diagnosed cases will be studied over 3 visits during a 14 month period to invesigate changes in bone health from diagnosis. The established cases will just have two visits. Most of the research tools that will be used are quite standard in children and will include an assessment of biochemical markers of diabetes and bone health that can be measured in blood. The participants will also have dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess bone health. MRI is a new technique and to understand the results in children with T1DM we will perform the MRI scan in cases and also age and sex-matched group of healthy children and adolescents.
The results of these studies will improve our understanding of why bone health may be affected in young people with T1DM.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 4
REC reference
14/WS/0105
Date of REC Opinion
26 Jun 2014
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion