Youths with type 1 diabetes (T1D) show lower bone accrual than expected for their age, gender, pubertal stage, lean mass accrual, and growth, with greater urinary calcium excretion being associated with impaired bone health.

"Greater urinary calcium excretion was associated with diminished bone mineral accrual over 1 year in youth with T1D," the authors wrote. "These findings suggest that studies of the effect of interventions to reduce urinary calcium excretion on bone outcomes should be considered in youth with T1D."

This study was led by David R. Weber, MD, MSCE, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and was published online in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

The study lacked a consensus on the optimal means of assessing urinary calcium excretion and the optimal timing of spot urine collection to assess calcium excretion, which may have affected the interpretation of the study findings. Urine collections were not done in duplicate. Experimental studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms.

One author reported receiving research grant funding from Inozyme Pharma and consulting fees from PTC Therapeutics.