Shortened tests can maintain diagnostic accuracy for growth hormone deficiency

A recent study has suggested that growth hormone stimulation tests (GHST) used to diagnose growth hormone deficiency (GHD) could potentially be shortened without compromising their diagnostic accuracy.

The study specifically focused on 2 alternative tests: the combined clonidine and glucagon stimulation test (CGST) and the l-dopa and glucagon stimulation test (LDGST).

The researchers found that eliminating the 0-minute time point from the CGST did not affect its diagnostic specificity, indicating that this adjustment could lead to cost reduction without sacrificing accuracy. Similarly, removing the 0- and 210-minute time points from the LDGST also did not compromise its specificity, suggesting potential cost and time savings.

Overall, this study highlights the possibility of making growth hormone deficiency testing more efficient while maintaining diagnostic reliability.

Reference
Fatani TH. Combined growth hormone stimulation testing: Could the tests be shortened? Heliyon. 2023;9(8):e18713. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18713. PMID: 37560690; PMCID: PMC10407136.