Characterization of adult onset growth hormone deficiency syndrome in patients with hypothalamopituitary diseases: Asian Indian data.

BACKGROUND Hardly any data is available on Adult onset growth hormone deficiency (AOGHD) in Patients with hypothalamopituitary diseases in India. AIMS To characterize Asian Indian AOGHD syndrome in hypothalamopituitary diseases. SETTINGS AND DESIGN Cross-sectional analysis of data from a tertiary care hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty patients with AOGHD were compared with 30 age-, sex-, body mass index-matched controls with respect to endocrine evaluation, biochemistry, body composition (BC), bone mineral density (BMD), cardiovascular risk profile and quality of life (QoL). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED Comparisons were performed using two-tailed Student's test (SPSS Software version 10.0). RESULTS Most of the patients had abnormal BC with central obesity [Truncal FM (%): males {33.9+/-4.4 (patient) vs. 29.31+/-6.2 (control); P -0.027}; females {39.87+/-5.93 (patient) vs. 35.76+/-3.16 (control); P - 0.025}] and poor QoL. Patients aged over 45 years did not show low bone mass or lipid abnormalities as compared to controls. Low BMD and abnormal lipid profile {Triglycerides [mg/dl]:170.55+/-72.5 (patient) vs101.24+/-31.0 (control); P -0.038}; {very low density lipoprotein cholesterol [mg/dl]: 33.54+/-14.9 (patient) vs. 20.25+/-6.18 (control); P - 0.05} was seen in female patients less than 45 years of age. CONCLUSIONS Male and female (more than 45 years) AOGHD patients have increased cardiovascular risk factors and poor QoL while BMD is unaffected. Females less than 45 years of age have the major characteristics of AOGHD and would be the group to benefit maximally with recombinant human Growth Hormone treatment, which is similar to that in the western literature.