The psychological consequences and quality of life in adults with growth hormone deficiency

It is now recognized that adults with pituitary disease and growth hormone (GH) deficiency have impaired physical and psychological functioning, including decreased quality of life. Research on quality of life continues to develop with reference to this patient group. In particular, disease-specific measures of quality of life have been developed, and data on long-term follow-up are now becoming available. Although the majority of studies investigating the effects of GH replacement show that quality of life improves with treatment, the results are not consistent. The relationship between quality of life and depressed mood in GH-deficient adults is complex and needs further study. (C) 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.