title: Carotid intima-media thickness in children treated with growth hormone.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is an ongoing discussion whether high doses of growth hormone (GH) may lead to cardiovascular diseases. Therefore, we studied the relationships between GH treatment and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), which is predictive of the development of atherosclerosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured cIMT in 38 children with supraphysiological doses of GH (mean age 10.9 ± 2.2 years; 47% male; GH indication: small for gestational age, n = 31; Turner syndrome, n = 5; SHOX deficiency, n = 2) and in 38 age- and gender-matched healthy children without GH treatment. Furthermore, we examined cIMT in 61 children with physiological doses of GH (mean age 12.0 ± 3.1 years; 64% male; GH indication: GH deficiency) and in 61 age- and gender-matched healthy children without GH treatment. Moreover, we analyzed blood pressure, lipids, HbA1c, IGF-1, and IGFBP-3 in children treated with GH.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cIMT levels did not differ significantly between children with and without GH treatment either in high-dose GH treatment or in physiological GH doses. In backwards linear regression analyses, cIMT was significantly related to HbA1c, but not to age, gender, BMI, pubertal stage, indication of GH treatment, duration or doses of GH treatment, IGF-1, IGFBP-3, or to any cardiovascular risk factor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found no evidence that GH treatment is associated with changes in cIMT.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Knop
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wolters
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lass
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wunsch
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Reinehr
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects*; D059168:Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006130:Growth Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014424:Turner Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D019382:Human Growth Hormone