Growth hormone treatment adherence in prepubertal and pubertal children with different growth disorders.

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS:

Treatment of children with growth disorders with recombinant human growth hormone is necessary for improved outcomes, including final height.

METHODS:

Adherence data from the Observational Study Saizen®-online, recorded with the easypod™ device collected between October 2009 and May 2011, were analyzed in pediatric patients receiving recombinant human growth hormone treatment for a variety of growth disorders.

RESULTS:

Data from 75 children (46 boys, 29 girls) with different growth disorders were analyzed over a period of 343 ± 201 (SD) days. Boys and girls showed similar mean ± SD adherence rates of 90.5 ± 3.1% and 92.2 ± 10.7%, respectively. Pubertal children (n = 41) had a significantly lower adherence rate (89.1 ± 13.7%) than prepubertal children (n = 29) (96.5 ± 3.9%; p < 0.005). There were nonsignificant differences in adherence rates according to diagnosis: growth hormone deficiency (n = 48) 91.4 ± 11.0%, small for gestational age (n = 18) 91.1 ± 15.3%, Turner syndrome (n = 6) 86.0 ± 14.5%, and chronic renal failure (n = 3) 99.3 ± 1.0%, although the latter two groups were small.

CONCLUSION:

Our data indicate that only a small number of pediatric patients using the easypod device had poor adherence to treatment. Further reliable adherence data are required to identify factors affecting long-term adherence in this population.

• Authors: Klaus Hartmann, Jochen Ittner, Elke Müller-Rossberg, Eckhard Schönau, Roger Stephan, K-Peter Ullrich, Bernd Hoppe, Rene Ramseger, Jürgen Brämswig
• Journal: Hormone research in paediatrics (Horm Res Paediatr) Vol. 80 Issue 1 Pg. 1-5 ( 2013) ISSN: 1663-2826 [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 23860437 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study, Observational Study, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Chemical References

• Recombinant Proteins
• Human Growth Hormone

Topics

• Adolescent
• Body Height
• Child
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Dwarfism, Pituitary (drug therapy)
• Female
• Growth Disorders (drug therapy)
• Human Growth Hormone (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Male
• Patient Compliance
• Puberty
• Recombinant Proteins (administration & dosage, therapeutic use)
• Turner Syndrome (drug therapy)