ESPE Abstracts

Background: Currently, only two centers for diagnosis and treatment of growth disorders are operating in the Western and Eastern parts of Bulgaria. About 200 children are currently GH treated while at least as many children with growth disorders from mostly Central Northern and Southern Bulgaria are presumably not diagnosed. Thus inequalities in children's access to health care are created. In order to correct this and to quickly align practices between ex...

Background: Obesity is a major risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Despite the obesity epidemics, the incidence of childhood T2DM is not increased.Objective and hypotheses: To assess the β-cell reserve expressed as an oral glucose disposition index (GDIo), an independent predictor of developing T2DM.Method: A total of 80 adolescents (61.3% girls), aged from 10.0 to 17.6 years (mean age 13.59±2.34 y...

Background: Obesity prevalence is increasing among young children in both developed and developing countries, showing a tendency to persist with age and lead to early morbidity and mortality.Objective and hypotheses: The aim of this study is to present the most recent trend in obesity prevalence and to investigate the changes in BMI among Bulgarian pre-pubertal children for a period of 17 years (from 1990 to 2007).Method: Three cro...

Background: Recently childhood obesity shows trends of lowering age at start. Preschool children are still very physically active. A possible association between total and abdominal obesity and metabolic risk at preschool age could be of value for preventive measures.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate the relationship between body composition and some metabolic risk factors at preschool age.Method: A total of 40 (50% boys) he...

Background: Non-classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (NCCAH) is a hyperandrogenic disorder affecting negatively the psychological health and the quality of life (QoL) of patients.Aim: To evaluate the psychological health and QoL in female NCCAH patients in comparison to female age-matched healthy controls.Participants and Methods: A total of sixty-eight females, aged 10-27 year...

Background: Precocious pubarche (PP), defined as the development of pubic hair before 8 years of age in females could be the first sign of a hyperandrogenic condition.Aim: The purpose of the study was to analyze the etiology of premature androgenization of girls with a history for PP and to evaluate their clinical, laboratory and ovarian ultrasound profile.Material and methods: A t...

Background: Non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (NCCAH) is a genetic disorder characterized by hyperandrogenism associated with potential metabolic alterations and changes in body composition and bone mineral parameters.Aim: The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the clinical and biochemical characteristics in association with bone mineral parameters and body composition in female patients diagnosed with ...

Introduction: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare imprinting disorder with evidence of increasing incidence. Treatment with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) has been shown to improve growth, body composition and final height. It is officially approved by the US Food and Drug Administration since 2000, but still not official indication in many countries.Aim: The aim of the current study is to assess the results o...

Background: Hyperinsulinaemic hypoglycaemia (HH) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by persistent hypoglycaemia due to inappropriate insulin secretion from the pancreatic β-cell.Aim: The objective was to analyze the demographic, clinical and genetic characteristics of patients with HH, diagnosed and/or treated at a tertiary endocrine center, part of the European referen...

Growth hormone (GH) has been used for the treatment of short stature due to GH deficiency (GHD) for over 60 years. Height velocity (HV) in the first year of therapy is well studied and its crucial importance for growth outcome in subsequent years is confirmed.Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the responsiveness to GH treatment in GHD patients of a newly established treatment center before and after change in starting GH dose...