Control of childhood congenital adrenal hyperplasia and sleep activity and quality with morning or evening glucocorticoid therapy.

CONTEXT: Traditionally, hydrocortisone (HC) replacement therapy in congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is given by three daily doses, albeit not necessarily of equal quantity. Although a higher dose in the morning better imitates the physiological diurnal variation, a late-night higher dose was suggested to better suppress early morning hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis peak activity. Yet, increased night cortisol has been claimed to be associated with sleep disturbances and insomnia.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to evaluate evening vs. morning high-HC dose with respect to disease control, sleep pattern, and daytime activity in children with CAH.

DESIGN: An open-label, cross-over, randomized trial of 15 children with classical CAH was performed. Patients were randomized to receive 50% of the daily HC in the morning or evening for 2 wk; the other two doses included 25% of the daily dose each.

OUTCOME MEASURES: Disease control was assessed by 0800-h 17-hydroxyprogesterone, testosterone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate on the last day of each treatment schedule. Sleep and daytime activity were assessed by a 7-d actigraph.

RESULTS: Basal morning androstenedione, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, and testosterone levels during the high-morning and high-evening HC treatment schedules were comparable. There were no significant differences in sleep or daytime activity.

CONCLUSIONS: With respect to disease control, sleep quality and daytime activity were not affected by treatment schedules. We recommend the high-morning dose schedule in replacement therapy of children with CAH.