Children
The Effect of Body Mass Index on Peak Growth Hormone Response During Stimulation Testing: A Retrospective Analysis
By Eleonora Rulli, Marcello Candelli, Donato Rigante and 2 others.
Abstract
Background
Growth hormone (GH) stimulation testing remains the diagnostic gold standard for GH deficiency (GHD), but body mass index (BMI) inversely influences peak GH levels, creating a risk of overdiagnosis. We evaluated the association between BMI standard deviation score (SDS) and peak GH response in children undergoing diagnostic work-up for suspected GHD.
Methods
This is a retrospective single-center study of 298 children (55.4% male, mean age 9.5 ± 2.9 years) evaluated for growth failure with arginine or clonidine stimulation testing. GHD was confirmed in 114 patients (38.3%). Multivariable linear and logistic regression models evaluated associations after adjustment for age, sex, and pubertal status.
