Adherence and long-term outcomes of growth hormone therapy with easypod™ in pediatric subjects: Spanish ECOS study

• DOI: 10.1530/ec-19-0325
• Publication Date: 2019-09-04T10:34:52Z
• Authors: María Dolores Rod...; Amparo Rodríguez ...; Ignacio Díez López; Joaquín Ramírez F...; Jose Antonio Berm...; Diego Yeste Ferná...; María Chueca Guin...; Raquel Corripio C...; Jacobo Pérez Sánchez; Ana Fernández Gon...; _ _
• Keywords: easypod; long-term; pediatrics; :hormonas, sustitutos de hormonas y antagonistas de hormonas::hormonas::hormonas peptídicas::hormonas hipofisarias::hormonas adenohipofisarias::hormona del crecimiento::hormona del crecimiento humana [COMPUESTOS QUÍMICOS Y DROGAS]; Research; Somatotropina; RC648-665; outcomes; Diseases of the endocrine glands. Clinical endocrinology; :Study Characteristics::Multicenter Study [PUBLICATION CHARACTERISTICS]; :equipos y suministros::equipos eléctricos y suministros eléctricos::dispositivos electrónicos ponibles [TÉCNICAS Y EQUIPOS ANALÍTICOS, DIAGNÓSTICOS Y TERAPÉUTICOS]; electronic device; r-hGH; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Electrònica mèdica; e-health; adherence; :Equipment and Supplies::Electrical Equipment and Supplies::Wearable Electronic Devices [ANALYTICAL, DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC TECHNIQUES, AND EQUIPMENT]; :características del estudio::estudio multicéntrico [CARACTERÍSTICAS DE PUBLICACIONES]; :Hormones, Hormone Substitutes, and Hormone Antagonists::Hormones::Peptide Hormones::Pituitary Hormones::Pituitary Hormones, Anterior::Growth Hormone::Human Growth Hormone [CHEMICALS AND DRUGS]

Background Non-adherence to r-hGH treatments occurs in a variable percentage of subjects. One problem found when evaluating adherence is the great variability in methods of detection and definitions utilized in studies. This study assessed the level of adherence in subjects receiving r-hGH with the easypod™ electronic device.

Methods National, multicenter, prospective and observational study involving 238 subjects (144 with GH deficiency (GHD), and 86 with small for gestational age (SGA), 8 with Turner Syndrome), who received r-hGH with easypod™ for at least 3 months before inclusion. The follow-up period was 4 years.

Results Overall adherence was 94.5%; 97.5% after 6 months, 95.3% after 1 year, 93.7% after 2, 94.4% after 3 and 95.5% after 4 years of treatment. No differences in adherence were observed between prepubertal and pubertal groups and GHD and SGA groups. Change in height after 1 and 2 years, change in height SDS after 1 and 2 years, HV after 1 year, HV SDS after at 1 and 4 years, change in BMI after 1 year and change in BMI SDS at 1 and 2 years showed significant correlation with adherence. No significant differences in adherence according to IGF-I levels were found in follow-up visits or between groups.

Conclusions The easypod™ electronic device, apart from being a precise and objective measure of adherence to r-hGH treatment, allows high compliance rates to be achieved over long periods of time. Adherence significantly impacts growth outcomes associated with r-hGH treatment.