Children born SGA receiving growth hormone have similarly impaired glucose-insulin metabolism as children with obesity

Abstract Context Being born small for gestational age (SGA) and growth hormone (GH) treatment are linked to disturbed glucose-insulin metabolism. Objective We investigated how GH treatment affects glucose-insulin metabolism in children born SGA compared to children with isolated growth hormone deficiency (iGHD), obesity and lean controls. Methods We analyzed glucose-insulin metabolism indices derived from oral glucose tolerance tests (Matsuda index, AUC insulin) and fasting parameters (fasting glucose, HOMA-IR) in 134 SGA patients without catch-up growth (CUG) receiving GH therapy (SGA-GHT), 27 untreated SGA patients with catch-up growth (SGA-CUG), 308 iGHD patients under GH treatment, 427 children with obesity, and 356 lean controls. We adjusted for sex, age, and BMI through matching and multivariable regression. Results Treatment-naïve SGA-GHT patients were more insulin-resistant than iGHD patients (higher insulin AUC P = .002 and HOMA-IR P .001, lower Matsuda index P .001) with levels approaching those of the obesity cohort. Under GH therapy, HbA1c was higher in SGA-GHT and iGHD patients (5.26% ± 0.35 vs 5.25% ± 0.25) than in lean controls (5.09% ± 0.27). Insulin resistance in SGA-GHT patients approached levels seen in obesity. Prediabetes prevalence was highest in SGA-GHT children (11.11%) compared to those with iGHD (1.59%) or obesity (3.13%). After stopping GH therapy, SGA-GHT patients retained elevated markers of prediabetes (4.65%) and insulin resistance compared to controls and iGHD patients, similar to children with obesity (6.38%). No overt type 2 diabetes was observed. Conclusion SGA patients have an impaired glucose-insulin metabolism similar to that of children with obesity, which worsens under GH therapy. Close metabolic monitoring of GH-treated SGA patients is recommended.