Gulf News Type 1 diabetics are more likely to have bone fractures

A large study suggests that type 1 diabetics are more likely to be fractured when their blood sugar levels are so high. The researchers examined data from over 47,000 diabetics, including 3,329 patients with type 1 diabetes, the least common type of diabetes, and typically occur during childhood or early adolescence when the pancreas does not secrete insulin. The other participants in the study were people with type 2 diabetes linked to obesity and aging, and this occurs when the body can not use or excrete enough insulin to convert blood sugar in energy.

The study found that the risk of bone fracture was higher in type 1 patients when their average blood glucose was significantly higher.

"It's important for type I diabetics to have good blood glucose control for a variety of reasons, as well as to avoid fractures," said researcher Francesque Formiga of the University of Barcelona. "People with high sugar levels should understand that this affects their overall health and their bones and may increase the risk of fractures, so they have to change their treatment based on the doctor's recommendations," he said.

Some complications of diabetes can increase the risk of falls and fractures, including cognitive and nerve damage limiting foot sensation, as well as retinopathy of the retina, making it difficult for the patient to see obstacles in his path and potentially cause his fall. The study showed that patients with type 1 diabetes with complications such as retinopathy were 29% more likely to have fractures than those who had none.