Effect of growth hormone therapy and puberty on bone and body composition in children with idiopathic short stature and growth hormone deficiency.

The state of bone health and the effect of growth hormone (GH) therapy on bone and body composition in children with idiopathic short stature (ISS) are largely unknown. A direct role of GH deficiency (GHD) on bone density is controversial. Using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, this study measured total body bone mineral content (TB BMC), body composition, and volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) at the lumbar spine (LS) and femoral neck (FN) in 77 children (aged 3-17 years) with ISS (n = 57) and GHD (n = 20). Fifty-five children (GHD = 13) receiving GH were followed over 24 months including measurement of bone turnover. At diagnosis, size-corrected TB BMC SDS was greater (P