Do blood sugars rise with Turner syndrome hormone therapy?

Turner syndrome itself can increase the risk of type 1 and type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance can be present. Therefore, growth hormone therapy should be preceded by tests or evaluations such as glucose tolerance tests, insulin release tests, glycosylated hemoglobin (reflecting the average level of blood glucose over approximately 3 months), lipids, and liver function, and if there is diabetes mellitus, or any other abnormality, these should be treated or adjusted to normal levels before growth hormone therapy is instituted. Studies have shown no significant increase in the number of Turner syndrome patients with abnormal glucose tolerance during growth hormone therapy, and no change or even a decrease in glycosylated hemoglobin, but diabetes can occur in about 0.19% of Turner syndrome patients. During growth hormone administration, insulin levels increase and then decrease after treatment ends, but they do not return to the same low levels as before treatment. Growth hormone often reduces insulin sensitivity, which can lead to insulin resistance that stabilizes only after 6-12 months of initial treatment, due to an increase in lean body mass and a decrease in fat mass, which is simply understood to be due to a decrease in body fat percentage. However, the long-term effects of growth hormone-induced hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance remain unclear. Therefore, the above indicators of glucose and lipid metabolism should also be closely monitored during growth hormone therapy, with an emphasis on diabetic symptoms and annual fasting glucose screening to facilitate timely detection of problems and prompt treatment. Diabetes that occurs during growth hormone therapy in children with Turner syndrome is often relatively mild and is effectively treated with weight control or oral medications alone, and the recommended regimen for the management of diabetes in patients with Turner syndrome is the same as that for non-Turner syndrome patients. Many of the problems in the adult lives of people with Turner syndrome are related to obesity, which is due in part to low physical activity and sedentary lifestyles. Therefore, lifestyle education related to recipes and exercise must be included in a diabetes prevention program. Exercise programs should be individualized. Women with Turner syndrome should aim for a body mass index of 25 or less and a waist/hip ratio of 0.8 or less. Body mass index is calculated as weight/(height)2, with weight in kilograms and height in meters. Early medical intervention can significantly reduce morbidity and mortality from a wide range of predisposing diseases and improve quality of life for people with Turner syndrome.