Abstract
Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (GnRHa) therapy is used in idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) worldwide. It has also been shown that during this therapy, body mass index (BMI) increases slightly as a side effect. We investigated the side effects of GnRHa treatment in ICPP on body composition and insulin resistance (IR). Twenty girls (7.55 +/- 1.02 y) with ICPP were treated with GnRHa (leuprolide) for an average of 20.83 +/- 4.8 months. Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA) was used to measure the body's fat balance. Nine patients out of 20 (45%) had significant gain weight. We showed a significant elevation in trunk fat mass compare to baseline values (p < 0.01). These nine patients had high homeostasis model assessment (HOMA)-IR and low glucose/insulin (G/I) index. This study showed a slight increase in BMI, moderate increase in total body fat, and exaggerated elevation in trunk fat mass and IR in GnRHa-treated ICPP children.
Copyright and license
Copyright © 2011 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.