Endocrine Abstracts

JOINT1301

Background: Early initiation of recombinant human growth hormone (r-hGH) therapy in patients with growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is important as it can improve growth-related outcomes.ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate the age at treatment start in children and adolescents with GHD treated with r-hGH therapy (Saizen®, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany) among European countries.MethodsData of age at treatment start of patients aged <18 years with GHD from European countries were extracted from the Growzen™ Connect digital ecosystem. However, whether patients were previously treated with r-hGH from another company was unknown (non-naive).ResultsData on age at treatment start was available for 10,150 patients from 15 European countries. The median age at treatment start was <8 years in Sweden and Finland; 9 years in the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, and United Kingdom; 10 years in Hungary, Slovakia, France, Romania, and Spain; and >10 years in Switzerland, Ireland, Italy, and Serbia.ConclusionsAlthough these data include non-naive patients, our findings show variations in the age at treatment start across different European countries. The data suggests a delayed start of r-hGH treatment across most European countries, which has potential implications for the final height outcome. The differences may be explained by the use of different country-specific guidelines for the early detection of growth disorders and their degree of implementation, the number and timing of healthcare visits and other healthcare practices. These results underscore the importance of harmonising guidelines and strategies for early detection of growth disorders across Europe to ensure optimal patient outcomes.