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August 9, 2007

Insulin Analogs, Other

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Question from United States:

I am 16 years old and 5 feet, 5 inches tall. My endocrinologist said my short height is due to my high A1cs. Recently, I have been controlling my numbers much better and working my way onto Lantus. Will changing to Lantus help me to grow? My growth plates in my foot are not closed, so I know I’m not done growing, but I don’t know if Lantus will help me grow.

Answer:

From: DTeam Staff

You are correct that poor control of diabetes (having a high A1c) can contribute to growth failure. Much of that is not recoverable, especially as you grow into your late adolescence/teen years. In many boys, most of your height has been fully achieved at 16 to 18 years old. In your e-mail, you mentioned that your growth plates in your foot have not yet closed, so you may have some further growing to do.

It is so very important to maintain excellent control of your diabetes for many reasons. Growth is just one important reason. I would suggest talking with your diabetes doctor and diabetes educator about what you could do to better improve your diabetes control. I’m glad that you’re making progress towards better control now — keep up the good work!

MSB