Quality of life and profile of mood states in patients with childhood-onset hypopituitarism and growth hormone deficiency during the discontinuation of growth hormone replacement therapy at the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
Lašaitė L, Matukaitienė R, Navardauskaitė R • Endocrine • 2025
Mood states (higher tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, fatigue-inertia, confusion-bewilderment), but not disease-specific QoL are impaired in patients with childhood-onset growth hormone deficiency during the discontinuation of rGH replacement therapy at the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
Key Findings
Results
Patients with childhood-onset GH deficiency discontinuing rGH therapy had higher tension-anxiety scores than controls.
Patient group: 136 patients (85 men, 51 women, age 16.8 ± 1.1 years); control group: 82 individuals (40 men, 42 women, age 16.5 ± 1.7 years).
Median tension-anxiety score was 9.0 in patients vs. 6.0 in controls (p < 0.001).
Assessed using the Profile of Mood States 2 (POMS2) questionnaire.
Results
Patients had higher depression-dejection scores compared to controls during rGH discontinuation.
Median depression-dejection score was 9.0 in patients vs. 8.0 in controls (p = 0.042).
Assessed using the POMS2 questionnaire.
Sample sizes: 136 patients and 82 controls.
Results
Patients had higher fatigue-inertia scores compared to controls.
Median fatigue-inertia score was 9.0 in patients vs. 6.0 in controls (p < 0.001).
Assessed using the POMS2 questionnaire.
BMI correlated positively with fatigue-inertia score (r = 0.181, p = 0.040).
Height correlated negatively with fatigue-inertia score (r = -0.188, p = 0.030).
Results
Patients had higher confusion-bewilderment scores compared to controls.
Median confusion-bewilderment score was 4.0 in patients vs. 3.0 in controls (p = 0.003).
Assessed using the POMS2 questionnaire.
Results
There was no difference in disease-specific quality of life between patients and controls as measured by the QoL-AGHDA questionnaire.
Quality of life was assessed using the Quality of Life - Assessment of Growth Hormone Deficiency in Adults (QoL-AGHDA) questionnaire.
No statistically significant difference in QoL-AGHDA scores was found between the 136 patients and 82 controls.
This finding contrasts with the impaired mood states observed in the same patient group.
Results
Basal cortisol concentration correlated negatively with both QoL-AGHDA score and depression-dejection score in patients.
Basal cortisol correlated negatively with QoL-AGHDA score (r = -0.288, p = 0.012).
Basal cortisol correlated negatively with depression-dejection score (r = -0.317, p = 0.005).
A negative correlation with QoL-AGHDA indicates higher cortisol was associated with better quality of life (lower score = better QoL on this instrument).
Results
Height correlated negatively with anger-hostility and fatigue-inertia mood scores in patients.
Height correlated negatively with anger-hostility score (r = -0.223, p = 0.010).
Height correlated negatively with fatigue-inertia score (r = -0.188, p = 0.030).
These findings suggest shorter stature was associated with worse mood states in this population.
Results
Older age at discontinuation of rGH replacement was associated with better quality of life and lower depression-dejection, anger-hostility, and fatigue-inertia scores.
Age at discontinuation correlated negatively with QoL-AGHDA score (r = -0.204, p = 0.026).
Age at discontinuation correlated negatively with depression-dejection score (r = -0.460, p = 0.021).
Age at discontinuation correlated negatively with anger-hostility score (r = -0.190, p = 0.040).
Age at discontinuation correlated negatively with fatigue-inertia score (r = -0.205, p = 0.026).
Lašaitė L, Matukaitienė R, Navardauskaitė R. (2025). Quality of life and profile of mood states in patients with childhood-onset hypopituitarism and growth hormone deficiency during the discontinuation of growth hormone replacement therapy at the transition from adolescence to adulthood.. Endocrine. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-024-04111-9