INCREASED FRACTURE FREQUENCY IN ADULT PATIENTS WITH HYPOPITUITARISM AND GH DEFICIENCY

Fracture frequency was studied in 107 hypopituitary patients with GH d eficiency (GHD) (69 men, mean age 53 years, range 18-74 and 38 women, mean age 54 years, range 31-73). Routine hormonal replacement therapy was given. except GH. Five male patients and 15 female patients with u ntreated hypogonadism were allocated to a separate group. The mean dur ation of hypopituitarism was 13.4 years, The prevalence of a history o f fractures was assessed using questionnaires. A subsample of the Gote borg WHO MONICA Project was used as a reference population (n = 323). The total fracture frequency was threefold higher (P < 0.001) in patie nts (24.1%) compared with controls (8.7%) (odds ratio 3.49) (1.85-6.56 : 95% confidence intervals). In men (n = 64) the fracture frequency wa s 25.0%, compared with 7.8% among the controls (P < 0.001). In women ( n = 23) the fracture frequency was 21.7%, compared with 9.5% among the controls (P = 0.08), The odds ratios for fracture frequency were 3.97 (1.81-8.40; 95% confidence intervals) and 2.64 (0.89-7.81; 95% confid ence intervals) in men and women respectively. In conclusion, adult hy popituitary patients with GHD had a threefold increased fracture frequ ency compared with controls. Further studies are needed to ascertain w hether long-term recombinant human GH treatment can reduce the fractur e rate in hypopituitary patients with GHD.