ESPE Abstracts

Background: It has been previously proposed that not all children with short stature displaying an inadequate response to tests for growth hormone (GH) secretion truly suffer from GH deficiency (GHD). Instead, amongst these, solely children with an identifiable monogenic cause of GHD or an identifiable functional or anatomical anomaly in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis should be considered GHD. The remaining patients should be defined as affected by “sho...

Background: Obesity and unfavorable metabolic profile (insulin resistance and/or dyslipidemia) are frequently observed in Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in Adolescents (PCOS) girls regardless of weight.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate clinical features and metabolic profile in PCOS adolescents, before, during and after Oral Contraceptive (OC) treatment.Method: We performed a retrospective study on 51 girls with PCOS diagnosed acc...

Background: Atherosclerosis begins in childhood and progresses silently. Triglycerides/HDL ratio(TG/HDL) is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.Objective and hypotheses: To investigate TG/HDL as possible predictive factor for metabolic disorders in children.Method: Descriptive correlation, with 110 children (6–12 years old) in Sparta, Greece. Anthropometric and biochemical analyzes were performed.R...

Central precocious puberty (CPP) is effectively treated by inhibition of GnRH signaling through GnRH receptor desensitization with depot GnRH agonists (dGnRHa), but the first injection is associated with a surge in LH and FSH (flare) that proportionally increases estradiol levels. When estradiol levels drop, usually within a fortnight, vaginal bleeding may be seen in a small number of girls. Although dGnRHa that use higher, longer-acting doses are increasingly being used in gi...

Due to the increase in prevalence of childhood obesity, more obese children are referred to the endocrinologist for the hypothalamus-hypophysis-adrenal axis assessment. The circadian rhythm (CR) of cortisol in saliva (SAF) may constitute a non-invasive, first line test to exclude hypercortisolism on obese children.Aim: To evaluate possible disturbances of CR of SAF in obese children with clinical signs of hypercortisolism.<p class="a...

Background: An important issue in the management of congenital hypothyroidism (CH) is the best initial dose of levothyroxine (L-T4) in order to achieve optimal neurocognitive outcomes. Both European and American guidelines suggest an initial dose of 10–15 μg/kg per die but trials on long-term effects of different doses within this range are lacking.Objective and hypotheses: This was a multicenter randomized trial to ev...

Background: Puberty is associated with a physiological decline in insulin sensitivity. Overweight and obesity are common among girls with Central Precocious Puberty (CPP). CPP and early menarche have been considered as risk factors for obesity and cardiovascular diseases during adulthood. Besides, concern has been raised by the potential impact of GnRH analogues (GnRH-a) treatment on body weight and metabolic profile.Objective and hypotheses: To evaluate...

Background: Elevated blood pressure (BP) may occur from childhood, increasing the risk for hypertension in adulthood.Aim: To investigate the effect of anthropometric characteristics and lifestyle habits in children’s and adolescents’ BP.Methods: 949 children (<12 years old) from Lakonia, 178 teenagers (12–18 years old) from Athens and 372 from Kalamata, Greece, had participated during 2011–2014. A specially ...

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) is defined as a group of disorders including diabetes mellitus, central obesity, dyslipidaemia, and hypertension.Aim: To investigate the role of lifestyle habits in correlation with MetSyn in children.Methods: In our research, 480 students, 6–12 years old, were participated living in Sparta–Greece. During 2011–2012, a specially designed questionnaire was used and anthropometric...

Background: Uric acid and Triglycerides/HDL ratio are an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.Aim: To investigate how Triglycerides/HDL ratio and uric acid are correlated with children’s biochemical and anthropometric characteristics, depending on the predisposition for metabolic syndrome (MetSyn).Methods: 110 students, 6–12 years old, living in Sparta-Greece, participated in our research. Anthropometric and ...