Tests for growth hormone secretion

Article Abstract:

Childhood growth is rapid up to the second year of life, steady but slower during middle childhood, and then involves a growth spurt during adolescence. Growth through the first year is dependent on nutrition, while growth rate throughout the rest of childhood is determined by the amount of growth hormone secretion, which occurs in a pulsatile fashion. The complex variation in growth hormone production among children leads to difficulties in determining when it is deficient. Research suggests that only children who grow at a slow rate during middle childhood and who have no other known causes of poor growth (such as digestive, respiratory, or kidney disease) should be tested for growth hormone secretion. Tests of growth hormone levels according to physiological factors or in response to drug stimulation each have limitations and disadvantages. In addition, these tests are easily confounded by influential factors such as hormonal state. The tests are most useful in identifying children with very low or very high levels of growth hormone, but are not as useful for the majority of children who have intermediate levels. A strategy is presented in which only children with growth rates below the third percentile would be treated, while all others would be followed carefully, and in uncertain cases, growth hormone treatment or specialist referral would be considered. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

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Treatment of constitutional growth delay in prepubertal boys with a prolonged course of low dose oxandrolone

Article Abstract:

Constitutional growth delay refers to a condition in which normal skeletal growth lags, resulting in short stature. In children with this condition, the onset of puberty may be delayed for as long as two years. Oxandrolone is an anabolic steroid that has been used in low doses to treat boys with constitutional growth delay. Diagnosis and treatment at an early age can not only return growth to normal, but may prevent the psychological problems associated with delayed puberty. The results of a study designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of oxandrolone in treating boys who suffer from growth delay are presented. The subjects included 46 boys with an average age of 12 years and an average two-year delay in bone development. In most cases, treatment consisted of 1.25 milligrams of oxandrolone per day, and the average duration of treatment was one year. Prior to treatment, the average rate of growth was four centimeters per year. Following treatment, the growth rate increased to 7.5 centimeters per year. In the period following treatment, growth continued at a rate of 7.6 centimeters per year. Eventually, the rate of growth caused by oxandrolone became the same as the rate of growth that normally occurs during puberty. These findings show that oxandrolone is a safe and effective treatment for boys with constitutional growth delay. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Evaluation, Human growth, Human development, Boys

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Treatment of constitutional delay of growth and puberty with oxandrolone compared with growth hormone

Article Abstract:

The condition known as constitutional delay of growth and puberty occurs in otherwise healthy adolescents who have reduced height for their age and delayed puberty. Therapy with anabolic steroids, given in low doses, can increase the growth rate and lead to an adequate final height. It has been suggested that growth hormone might be a better treatment and might yield greater adult height than the anabolic steroids such as oxandrolone. To test this, 26 boys (average age 13.8 years) with constitutional delay of growth and puberty were each given one of two hormones, oxandrolone or biosynthetic human growth hormone (r-hGH). Fifteen took oxandrolone and 11 took r-hGH. The boys were observed for one year prior to treatment and followed-up for another year after treatment; the treatment regimen lasted three months for oxandrolone and 12 months for r-hGH. Both hormone treatments significantly increased height growth rate in the boys, but growth was greater with oxandrolone than with r-hGH. Oxandrolone appears to be more effective than r-hGH in increasing growth in boys affected by constitutional delay of growth and puberty. Thus, human growth hormone is not recommended for treating this condition, but it is possible that its use for periods longer than a year might be more effective. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Teenagers, Youth, Stature, Short, Short stature

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