Body composition and bone mineral density in long-standing type 1 diabetes

Objectives. To study body composition and bone mineral density (BMD) in adult patients with long-standing type 1 diabetes mellitus. Research design and methods. In a population-based study, body composition and BMD were evaluated by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry in 38 patients with type 1 diabetes since childhood, compared with 38 age- and sex-matched controls. The mean age was 43 years (range 33-55 years) and the mean duration of diabetes was 33 years (range 28-37 years). Results. Besides a tendency to a reduced abdominal fat mass in diabetic males, no difference was observed in fat mass, muscle mass, or BMD between the groups. Significant correlations were found between insulin dosage and whole body fat mass in diabetic females and between serum cholesterol levels and abdominal fat mass in diabetic males. Conclusion. Patients with long-standing type 1 diabetes with onset in childhood and adolescence seem to show only minor differences in body composition and no difference in BMD compared with closely matched healthy controls.