[Age of onset of puberty and menarche in type 1 diabetic girls].

INTRODUCTION Delayed pubertal maturation has been reported in girls with type 1 diabetes. OBJECTIVES To report the age of onset of puberty and menarche in girls with type 1 diabetes diagnosed before puberty. To investigate clinical factors affecting the occurrence of puberty and menarche in this population. PATIENTS AND METHODS A retrospective study of 38 girls with type 1 diabetes, all of them on intensive insulin therapy since diagnosis and followed up at our hospital until menarche. Age of onset of puberty and age of menarche were collected as dependent variables, and time since onset of diabetes, glycosylated hemoglobin levels, daily insulin requirements, and body mass index standard deviation score were collected as independent variables. Variables are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. Multivariate linear regression models tested the associations between dependent and independent variables. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. RESULTS Thirty-eight girls were enrolled. Age of onset of puberty was 10.4 ± 1.1 years and age of menarche, 12.6 ± 1.0 years. Time since diabetes onset influenced age at onset of puberty (β = +0.12; p=0.047). A negative association was found between body mass index standard deviation score and age at menarche (β=-0.39; p=0.014). CONCLUSION Diabetes duration and body mass index were correlated with age of onset of puberty and age of menarche in girls with type 1 diabetes.