To investigate the effects of growth hormone (GH) treatment on glucose-insulin metabolism in children born small for gestational age (SGA) compared to children with isolated growth hormone deficiency (iGHD), children with obesity, and lean controls.
Key Findings:
SGA-GHT patients exhibited higher insulin resistance than iGHD patients.
HbA1c levels were higher in SGA-GHT and iGHD patients compared to lean controls.
Prediabetes prevalence was highest in SGA-GHT children (11.11%).
After stopping GH therapy, SGA-GHT patients retained elevated markers of prediabetes and insulin resistance.
Interpretation:
SGA patients under GH therapy show impaired glucose-insulin metabolism similar to obesity, indicating a critical need for close metabolic monitoring to prevent complications.
Limitations:
Retrospective design may limit causal inferences.
Potential confounding factors, such as dietary habits and physical activity levels, were not fully accounted for.
Conclusion:
GH treatment in SGA children worsens glucose-insulin metabolism, necessitating careful monitoring for metabolic complications.
Mendelian randomization analyses linked higher birthweight with greater mid-childhood height but the connection could reflect genetic factors related to skeletal growth.
Metabolomics analysis identified higher uric acid levels in patients with lipedema and lymphedema, although associations weakened following adjustment for renal insufficiency.
