title: Studies in constitutionally tall adolescents. II. Effects of bromocriptine on growth hormone secretion and adult height prediction.
abstract: After previous demonstration of paradoxical GH responses to TRH and oral glucose loading tests in some constitutionally tall adolescents, we studied the effects of a small dose of bromocriptine (5 mg/day) on GH secretion and adult height prediction. In 10 patients, each of whom had a substantial plasma GH increase after TRH injection, bromocriptine reduced or suppressed this abnormal response. In 4 of these patients who also had paradoxical GH increases after glucose loading, bromocriptine suppressed this abnormality in 2. Predicted adult height was reduced in 10 of the 12 patients after 6-12 months of treatment. This reduction resulted either from a decrease in growth velocity, an increase in skeletal maturation rate, or both. Since no side effects were noticed we suggest that bromocriptine may be a valuable alternative to sex steroid treatment to limit final height in excessively tall adolescents.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001827:Body Height / Q000187:drug effects*; D001971:Bromocriptine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005947:Glucose; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone
chemical_list: D001971:Bromocriptine; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013006:Growth Hormone; D005947:Glucose