Effects of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonist Therapy on Body Mass Index and Height in Girls with Central Precocious Puberty

Treatment with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist is the treatment of choice for central precocious puberty (CPP). Many of the previous studies concerning the auxological effects of treatment with GnRH agonist in CPP have focused on final height. Much less attention has been paid to changes in body weight. However, concerns have been expressed that CPP may be associated with increased body mass index (BMI) both at initial presentation and during GnRH agonist treatment. We retrospectively reviewed the height and BMI of 38 girls with CPP. All patients were treated with GnRH agonist over 18 months. The height standard deviation score (SDS) for chronological age was significantly decreased during GnRH agonist treatment, whereas the height SDS for bone age was significantly increased. The predicted adult height was increased from 157.78±6.45 cm before treatment to 161.41±8.97 cm at 12 months after treatment. The BMI SDS for chronological age was significantly increased during treatment. The BMI SDS of normal-weight girls increased more than did the BMI SDS of overweight girls, but the increase was not significant. Preventive measures, such as increased physical activity, can be introduced to minimize possible alterations in body weight, and a long-term follow-up study is required to elucidate whether GnRH agonist treatment in Korean girls with CPP affects adult obesity.