Endocrine Abstracts

JOINT3389

Objective: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of leuprolide acetate on hemodynamic parameters, including blood pressure, arterial strain, and arterial stiffness, in patients diagnosed with idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) through a prospective case-control study design.

Materials and Methods: This study included female patients diagnosed with ICPP and initiated on leuprolide acetate 11.25 mg/3 months therapy at our Pediatric Endocrinology Department, with no additional chronic illnesses. Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) was performed at baseline, 3rd, and 6th months to obtain 24-hour blood pressure measurements. Simultaneously, carotid artery stiffness and strain parameters were assessed using Speckle Tracking Carotid Strain (STCS) ultrasonography.

Results: The study included 24 female patients diagnosed with ICPP with a mean age of 8.3±1 years, bone age of 10.5±1.4 years, height standard deviation (SD) of 1.3±1.1, and BMI SD of 0.9±1.1. Cranial MRI findings were normal in all cases, and routine biochemical and hematological tests were within normal ranges. According to ABPM data, baseline measurements showed a systolic blood pressure (SBP) SD of 0.8±0.6, diastolic blood pressure (DBP) SD of 0.2±0.6, mean arterial pressure (MAP) of 82.6±6.2 mmHg, pulse wave velocity (PWV) of 4.3±0.2, central SBP-SD of 0.2±0.6, and central DBP-SD of 0.2±0.7. The proportion of dipper patterns was 8.2±4.3% for SBP and 13.2±6.4% for DBP. At the 3-month follow-up, central DBP-SD increased to 0.4±0.5 (P = 0.017). However, no significant differences were observed in SBP-SD, DBP-SD, central SBP-SD, PWV, or MAP when comparing the 3rd and 6th months. No significant change in the dipper pattern was observed when baseline, 3rd, and 6th-month data were compared. Similarly, arterial stiffness and strain parameters assessed via STCS ultrasonography showed no significant differences between baseline, 3rd, and 6th-month measurements.

Conclusion: While case reports in the literature have indicated a potential increase in blood pressure associated with GnRH analogue treatment, no prospective case-control studies have systematically examined this relationship. Our study is the first to investigate this association in a controlled prospective design. An increase in central DBP was observed at the 3rd month of GnRH analogue treatment. However, no significant differences were found in other blood pressure parameters, dipper pattern, arterial stiffness, or strain parameters in the 3rd and 6th-month evaluations.

Note: The study is still ongoing, and a preliminary analysis has been conducted based on 16 patients with completed 6-month data. The full dataset is expected to be completed by the time of the conference.