Adult growth hormone (GH)-deficient patients demonstrate heterogeneity between childhood onset and adult onset before and during human GH treatment

The onset of adult GH deficiency may be during either adulthood (AO) or childhood (CO), but potential differences have not previously been examined. In this study the baseline and GH therapy (12.5 μg/kg per day) data from CO (n = 74; mean age 29 yr) and AO (n = 99; mean age 44 yr) GH- deficient adult patients have been compared. The first 6 months comprised randomized, double-blind treatment with GH or placebo, then all patients were GH-treated for a further 12 months. At baseline the height, body weight, body mass index, lean body mass, and waist/hip ratio of AO patients were significantly (P < 0.001) greater than in CO patients. Serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) levels were below normal but were lower in CO than AO patients (P < 0.001), and the correlation with IGF binding protein-3 was stronger in CO than in AO patients. Osteocalcin concentration in CO patients was above the normal range and significantly greater than in AO patients. Both groups had significant psychosocial distress, but the d...