SynthesisThe Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism2026
Long-acting growth hormone for treating growth hormone deficiency in children: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials focusing on changes in body mass index.
Synthesis in The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Weekly long-acting growth hormone versus daily growth hormone therapy on quality of life, efficacy, and safety in children with short stature: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Pooled it
- Weekly somatrogon vs daily somatropin: a propensity score-matched analysis of growth outcomes from clinical data vs KIGS.Journal of the Endocrine Society · 2026Article
- Efficacy and Safety of Somapacitan versus Daily Growth Hormone in Children with Growth Hormone Deficiency: A Pooled Analysis of Randomised Trial Data.Hormone research in paediatrics · 2026Article
- Letter to the editor from Miller et al: "long-acting growth hormone for treating growth hormone deficiency in children: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials focusing on changes in body mass index".The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism · 2026Article
- Can long-acting growth hormone improve adherence in pediatric growth hormone deficiency?Endocrine · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgoundThe purpose of this study is to compare the effect of long-acting growth hormone (LAGH) to daily GH on body mass index (BMI) in children with growth hormone deficiency (GHD).
methodsWe searched the PubMed database from its inception to July 2025 and identified three relevant randomized controlled trials lasting over 6 months, with extension phases providing longitudinal BMI data. Longitudinal BMI data were available for lonapegsomatropin, somatrogon, and somapacitan, but not for polyethylene glycol LAGH.
resultsA total of 585 patients were included in the present analysis, of which 346 were in the LAGH group, and 239 were in the daily rhGH group, derived from seven original articles and two abstracts/ePosters. At 12 months, there was a significant difference in BMI SD scores between LAGH and daily GH groups (Mean difference [MD] 0.66 SDS [95% confidence interval [CI] 0.04-1.29]). BMI SDS significantly increased in the LAGH group (MD + 0.41 SDS [95% CI 0.04-0.77] from 0 to 12 months), whereas it did not change in the daily GH group (MD -0.35 SDS [95% CI -0.76 to +0.07] from 0 to 12 months). Between 12 and 24 months, after switching from daily GH to LAGH (daily GH/LAGH), or pursuing LAGH (LAGH/LAGH) in the extension phases of the studies, BMI SDS significantly increased in the daily GH/LAGH switching group (MD + 0.75 SDS [95% CI 0.24-1.27] from 12 to 24 months), whereas it remained steady in the LAGH/LAGH group. Omitting one study at a time from the meta-analysis did not materially affect the results.
conclusionAn increase in body mass index SD score is associated with the first year of LAGH use.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.