Association Between Hemoglobin and Growth Hormone Peak in Chinese Children and Adolescents with Short Stature: A Cross-Sectional Study

OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to investigate the relationship between hemoglobin (Hb) and growth hormone (GH) peak in children and adolescents with short stature. DESIGN: This cross-sectional study included a total of 787 children and adolescents with short stature. Anthropometric and biochemical indicators were measured at baseline. All patients underwent GH provocation tests with L-dopa and insulin to assess GH peak levels. RESULTS: The univariate analysis results showed that Hb was positively associated with GH peak (β 0.07, P=0.001). Furthermore, a non-linear relationship was detected between Hb and GH peaks through smooth curve fitting, and the inflection point was 123 g/L after multivariate piecewise linear regression analysis. GH peak increased with Hb elevation when the Hb level was greater than 123 g/L (β 0.08, 95% CI 0.01, 0.14; P=0.0207). CONCLUSION: In children and adolescents with short stature, we found GH peak was positively associated with the Hb level when the Hb level reached the inflection point.