Context: Little information is available about changes in body weight and body mass index in children before, during, and after treatment for Graves' disease (GD).
Objective: Our objective was to examine changes in body weight after treatment for GD in children as related to clinical features.
Design: The medical records of 43 pediatric patients with GD [35 girls and eight boys, aged 4.0-18.5 (mean 10.9) yr] were examined. Patients were included if clinical data were available for 1 yr before and after the diagnosis of GD.
Main outcome measures: Weight, height, body mass index (BMI) z-scores, and thyroid hormone levels were assessed.
Results: Overall, patients presented with an average BMI z-score of -0.02 ± 1.05 that was not different from the normal population (P = 0.921) or their premorbid values (P = 0.07). However, in the subset of patients who were initially overweight or obese in the premorbid state, the BMI decreased significantly during the development of hyperthyroidism (P < 0.05). After initiation of treatment, patients gained significant amounts of weight over the first 6 months leading to elevated BMI z-scores (P < 0.0001), and elevations in BMI persisted in about 25% of the patients.
Conclusion: Excessive weight gain within 6 months of treatment is seen in children treated for GD, and the gain in weight can persist.