Growth hormone therapy

Synthetic human growth hormone is licensed in the UK for the treatment of children with growth hormone deficiency, and children with short stature associated with chronic renal insufficiency (renal function decreased to less than 50%), Turner's syndrome (gonadal dysgenesis) and Prader-Willi syndrome. Synthetic growth hormone is also licensed (in the UK) for use in adults with growth hormone deficiency.

• companies recommend that treatment with synthetic growth hormone "should be initiated and monitored by physicians..experienced in the diagnosis and management of growth disorders"
• synthetic growth hormone is administered daily by subcutaneous injection - it is best administered in the evening to mimic the normal physiological nocturnal increase in secretion of growth hormone
• the best way to monitor response to treatment is via calculations of height velocity and interval height increase. It is also possible to monitor progress via measurement of serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3

Reference: (1) Drugs and Therapeutics Bulletin (2002), 40 (3), 17-20.