The effect of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist treatment over 3 years on bone mineral density and body composition in girls with central precocious puberty.

OBJECTIVE: Puberty is a period characterized by growth spurt and rapid change in body composition. The effect of GnRH agonist therapy for central precocious puberty on bone mineral density is unclear. We demonstrated changes in bone mineral density in subjects with central precocious puberty, who were treated with GnRH agonist for more than 3 years.

DESIGN: The changes in bone mineral density and body compositions were tested with analysis of variance with repeated measures to identify statistical significance over the treatment period.

PATIENTS: One hundred ninety-five Korean girls with central precocious puberty were treated with GnRH agonist, and among these subjects, 39 patients were treated for more than 3 years.

MEASUREMENTS: Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry was performed on the subjects at the initial evaluation and once yearly thereafter while on the treatment.

RESULTS: The bone mineral density parameters for chronological age tended to decrease near the mean for the treatment period; however, they increased significantly for bone age excluding bone mineral apparent density. An increment of the BMI was not significant for the chronological age.

CONCLUSIONS: Three-year treatment with GnRH agonist in central precocious puberty patients did not impair bone maturation. GnRH agonist could be effectively commenced in girls with precocious puberty from an early age.