Effects of type 1 diabetes mellitus on lumbar disc degeneration: a retrospective study of 118 patients

Background The study aimed to investigate the correlation between type 1 diabetes (T1D) and lumbar disc degeneration (LDD). Methods A retrospective analysis of 118 patients with T1D recruited from January 2014 to March 2019 was performed, and multivariate logistic regression was used to analyse the incidence of T1D; the age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) of the patients; the disease duration and the glycosylated haemoglobin and venous blood glucose levels. All patients who suffered low back pain were assessed by MRI using the Pfirrmann grading system. Results A total of 118 patients with an average age of 36.99 +/- 17.01 (8-85 years) were reviewed. The mean hospitalization duration, venous glucose fluctuation range, glycated haemoglobin level, highest venous glucose level, venous glucose level, and disease course duration were 13.98 +/- 10.16 days, 14.99 +/- 5.87 mmol/L, 9.85 +/- 2.52 mmol/L, 25.29 +/- 7.92 mmol/L, 13.03 +/- 5.75 mmol/L and 7.30 +/- 8.41 years. The average Pfirrmann scores of the different discs were 2.20 +/- 0.62 (L1-2), 2.35 +/- 0.67 (L2-3), 2.90 +/- 0.45 (L3-4), 4.20 +/- 0.52 (L4-5) and 4.10 +/- 0.72 (L5-S1). The patients with T1D showed severe disc degeneration. The male sex, glycosylated haemoglobin, venous glucose and venous glucose fluctuations were significantly associated with LDD (P< 0.05). Conclusions Glycosylated haemoglobin, the male, venous glucose and the venous glucose fluctuation range were risk factors for LDD.