Boys with T1DM now hit puberty early

For a significant number of boys with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), puberty may start early than it used to, as reported in a study for Greece.

The study included 46 boys with T1DM who visited the Outpatient Clinics of the 1st and 2nd Department of Paediatrics of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Researchers recorded recent anthropometric data during the follow-up visit, as well as collected previous anthropometric data and demographic data from medical files. Onset of puberty was characterized as a volume of testis greater than 3 ml.

Results showed that five boys (10.2 percent) had precocious puberty (<9 years old), 10 boys (20.4 percent) had early puberty (<10 years but >9 years), and 34 boys (69.4 percent) entered puberty normally.

The duration of T1DM showed an inverse association with the odds of having earlier puberty (p<0.001), such that boys who had received a diagnosis of T1DM recently were more likely to hit early puberty than those who had had T1DM for longer.

There was no notable year predominance seen, which suggest the absence of a COVID-19 effect.

The present data raise questions regarding diabetes management and other possible cofactors.