Prevalence and risk of complications in untreated patients with adult growth hormone deficiency
Authors' conclusion
Untreated patients with AGHD have a higher prevalence of metabolic complications than the general population despite no difference in their related risk factors. Given the low use of GHRT in this study, comprehensive treatment approaches that include GHRT need to be considered to alleviate the risk of complications.
Study context
- Population
- Untreated patients with adult GH deficiency (no GH replacement therapy), Japanese claims database, April 2008 to September 20223,430 in 2020
- Participants
- 8,809 patients
- Exposure
- Untreated adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD) population vs Japanese general population
- AGHDn = 3,430
- Outcome
- Prevalence of AGHD-related complications
- Follow-up
- 2020
Methodological detailsMedical Data Vision claims database, comparison with Japanese general population, Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard model
- Medical Data Vision claims database
- Comparison with Japanese general population
- Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard model
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Prevalence of complications (AGHD adjusted for sex and age)
DM prevalence, AGHD vs general population
9.3% vs. 3.6%
Osteoporosis prevalence, AGHD vs general population
4.8% vs. 1.3%
Dyslipidemia prevalence, AGHD vs general population
22.0% vs. 3.9%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
- Age was a significant risk factor for most complications, and female sex for osteoporosis
- DM was a significant risk factor for dyslipidemia, ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease and all-cause death
Original publication
Prevalence and risk of complications in untreated patients with adult growth hormone deficiency. Pituitary. Published 18 February 2025. doi:10.
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