Menstrual cycle, reproductive function, body mass index, and metabolic profiles of women with former central precocious puberty: 10–20-year longitudinal cohort study in southern Thailand

Abstract

Background

In 2011, we described 64 girls diagnosed with central precocious puberty (CPP) during 1995–2009. In 2019, the former CPP patients were 16–30 years of age and had been followed-up for 6–20 years after cessation of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog (GnRHa) treatment.

Objectives

To determine the menstrual cycle, reproductive function, and long-term sequelae of the former GnRHa-treated and untreated CPP patients.

Methods

Sixty-seven former CPP women diagnosed during January 1995 to December 2010 were evaluated in 2019 for current menstrual cycle and pregnancy rate and for general health status, weight, height, blood pressure, and metabolic profiles of glucose, lipids, insulin, and testosterone.

Results

In 2019, the former CPP women averaged 20.7 ± 2.7 years of age (range: 16.5–30). Eighty-three percent had a regular menstrual cycle. Of the 14 married women, six (43%) were fertile with 1–2 children. The untreated women had a significantly higher rate of obesity (BMI >25 kg/m ²) than the GnRHa-treated women (72.1% vs. 36.6%, p < 0.01). Two women (3%) had polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Fasting plasma glucose, serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and testosterone levels were normal and similar between the GnRHa-treated and untreated participants. The serum insulin, cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) levels were higher in the untreated group than the GnRHa-treated group, but without significant differences.

Conclusions

At a 10–20-year follow-up, our former CPP patients had regular menstruation, normal reproductive function, and normal metabolic outcomes. The low prevalence of PCOS of 3% suggests that CPP is not a risk factor for PCOS, at least during early adulthood.