Long-term mortality after childhood growth hormone treatment: the SAGhE cohort study.

Background: Recombinant human growth hormone has been used for more than 30 years and its indications have increased worldwide. There is concern that this treatment might increase mortality, but published data are scarce. We present data from the entire dataset of all eight countries of the Safety and Appropriateness of Growth hormone treatments in Europe (SAGhE) consortium, with the aim of studying long-term overall and cause-specific mortality in young adult patients treated with recombinant human growth hormone during childhood and relating this to the underlying diagnosis.

Description of the SAGhE Cohort: A Large European Study of Mortality and Cancer Incidence Risks after Childhood Treatment with Recombinant Growth Hormone.

Background: The long-term safety of growth hormone treatment is uncertain. Raised risks of death and certain cancers have been reported inconsistently, based on limited data or short-term follow-up by pharmaceutical companies.

Patients And Methods: The SAGhE (Safety and Appropriateness of Growth Hormone Treatments in Europe) study assembled cohorts of patients treated in childhood with recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) in 8 European countries since the first use of this treatment in 1984 and followed them for cause-specific mortality and cancer incidence.

Growth hormone treatment for childhood short stature and risk of stroke in early adulthood.

Objectives: We investigated the incidence of stroke and stroke subtypes in a population-based cohort of patients in France treated with growth hormone (GH) for short stature in childhood.

Methods: Adult morbidity data were obtained in 2008-2010 for 6,874 children with idiopathic isolated GH deficiency or short stature who started GH treatment between 1985 and 1996. Cerebrovascular events were validated using medical reports and imaging data and classified according to standard definitions of subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, and ischemic stroke.

Long-term mortality after recombinant growth hormone treatment for isolated growth hormone deficiency or childhood short stature: preliminary report of the French SAGhE study.

Context: Little is known about the long-term health of subjects treated with GH in childhood, and Safety and Appropriateness of Growth hormone treatments in Europe (SAGhE) is a study addressing this question.

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the long-term mortality of patients treated with recombinant GH in childhood in France.

Design: This was a population-based cohort study.

Effects of growth hormone therapy in prepubertal children with short stature secondary to intrauterine growth retardation.

A total of 130 short children were included in a French multicentre study and randomized between a control group (group A) and two groups treated with daily subcutaneous injections of GH at doses of 0.7 IU/kg/week (group B) and 1.4 IU/kg/week (group C) for 2 years.