Monika Bullinger1, Janika Bloemeke2, Veronica Mericq3, Rachel Sommer1, Xiemena Gaete3, Judith L Ross4, Y Miles Yu5, Joseph Permuy6, Priscila Gagliardi6, Y Ligeia Damaso6, Nelly Mauras6. 1. University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. 2. University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany, j.bloemeke@uke.de. 3. Division of Endocrinology, University of Santiago, Santiago, Chile. 4. Division of Endocrinology, Nemours Children's Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. 5. Division of Endocrinology, Nemours Children's Health System, Orlando, Florida, USA. 6. Division of Endocrinology, Nemours Children's Health System, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The combination of growth hormone (GH) and aromatase inhibitors (AI) improves linear growth in severely short adolescent boys; however, the effects of this intervention on quality of life (QoL) are unknown. This study assesses whether GH, AI, or their combination impacts the QoL of adolescent males with idiopathic short stature (ISS) from both the adolescent and the parent perspective. METHOD: A randomized open-label comparator trial was conducted in 76 pubertal males with ISS who received AI, GH, or AI/GH for 24 months. The condition-specific Quality of Life in Short Stature Youth questionnaire was used to assess QoL. RESULTS:QoL scores were low at baseline in the children's and parents' reports. Within-group testing showed that total QoL scores increased significantly at 24 months in the GH and AI/GH group but not the AI group in the children's report, whereas it increased in all of the groups in the parents' report. Increases in QoL scores were associated with an increase in height SDS. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with GH and AI/GH was associated with improved QoL scores as measured from both the patients' and the parents' perspectives, suggesting that the improved growth resulting from the use of these growth-promoting therapies has beneficial psychosocial effects in adolescent males with ISS followed for 24 months.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: The combination of growth hormone (GH) and aromatase inhibitors (AI) improves linear growth in severely short adolescent boys; however, the effects of this intervention on quality of life (QoL) are unknown. This study assesses whether GH, AI, or their combination impacts the QoL of adolescent males with idiopathic short stature (ISS) from both the adolescent and the parent perspective. METHOD: A randomized open-label comparator trial was conducted in 76 pubertal males with ISS who received AI, GH, or AI/GH for 24 months. The condition-specific Quality of Life in Short Stature Youth questionnaire was used to assess QoL. RESULTS: QoL scores were low at baseline in the children's and parents' reports. Within-group testing showed that total QoL scores increased significantly at 24 months in the GH and AI/GH group but not the AI group in the children's report, whereas it increased in all of the groups in the parents' report. Increases in QoL scores were associated with an increase in height SDS. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with GH and AI/GH was associated with improved QoL scores as measured from both the patients' and the parents' perspectives, suggesting that the improved growth resulting from the use of these growth-promoting therapies has beneficial psychosocial effects in adolescent males with ISS followed for 24 months.
Keywords:
Adolescent; Body height; Growth; Growth hormone therapy; Idiopathic short stature; Quality of Life in Short Stature Youth questionnaire; Quality of life