title: Quality of life in congenital, untreated, lifetime isolated growth hormone deficiency.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology, Federal University of Sergipe, Rua Cláudio Batista, s/n sala Baltita, Bairro Sanatório, Aracaju 49060-100, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jorge A R
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salvatori
authors.forename: Carla R P
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Rossana M C
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Catarine T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Farias
authors.forename: Allan V de O
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Britto
authors.forename: Natália T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Farias
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blackford
authors.forename: Manuel H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Aguiar-Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004393:Dwarfism, Pituitary / Q000151:congenital / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D019369:Life; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000187:drug effects; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D028761:Withholding Treatment
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D019382:Human Growth Hormone