Quality of life in congenital, untreated, lifetime isolated growth hormone deficiency

• Published in: Psychoneuroendocrinology Vol. 34; no. 6; pp. 894 - 900
• Main Authors: Barbosa, Jorge A.R, Salvatori, Roberto, Oliveira, Carla R.P, Pereira, Rossana M.C, Farias, Catarine T, Britto, Allan V. de O, Farias, Natália T, Blackford, Amanda, Aguiar-Oliveira, Manuel H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2009; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biological and medical sciences; Brazil; Case-Control Studies; Delayed-Action Preparations - administration & dosage; Drug Administration Schedule; Dwarfism, Pituitary - congenital; Dwarfism, Pituitary - drug therapy; Dwarfism, Pituitary - physiopathology; Dwarfism, Pituitary - psychology; Endocrinology & Metabolism; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GH treatment; GHRH receptor mutation; Hormones and behavior; Human Growth Hormone - administration & dosage; Humans; Isolated growth hormone deficiency; Life; Male; Middle Aged; Patient Satisfaction - statistics & numerical data; Physical Endurance - drug effects; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Quality of Life; Surveys and Questionnaires; Withholding Treatment; GHRH receptor mutation; Brazil; Isolated growth hormone deficiency; GH treatment; Quality of life; Congenital; Somatotropin releasing factor; Hypothalamic hormone; Somatotropin; Lifetime; Treatment; Adenohypophyseal hormone; Mutation; Hormone releasing factor; Biological receptor
• ISSN: 0306-4530; 1873-3360
• DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.01.001

Summary Impaired quality of life (QoL) is commonly described as being associated with growth hormone (GH) deficiency (GHD), and beneficial effects of GH replacement therapy on QoL have been reported. However, most studies examined heterogeneous cohorts of patients GHD of varying etiologies, severities and age of onset. Most of these patients miss other pituitary hormones, whose replacement can also influence QoL. We studied the QoL of a homogeneous cohort of 20 adults with isolated GH deficiency (IGHD) due to the same mutation in the GH-releasing hormone receptor gene (IGHD, 10 men) using the Life Satisfaction Hypopituitarism Module (QLS-H), and compared them with 20 matched controls residing in the same community (CO, 10 men). Additionally, the IGHD group was evaluated after 6 months of treatment with bi-monthly depot GH, and after 12 months from its interruption. There was no difference in the total score of QoL (TSQoL) or in any of the nine categories that composes the questionnaire between IGHD and CO. Similar results were obtained when data were analyzed by sex. GH treatment only increased satisfaction with physical endurance, but did not cause an increase in the TSQoL. We conclude that in this unique population congenital, untreated, lifetime IGHD does not reduce QoL, and treatment with GH for 6 months only causes improvement in satisfaction with physical resistance.