HGH therapy benefits body composition

HGH therapy benefits body composition, exercise capacity, skeletal integrity, and quality of life

CONCLUSIONS: Growth Hormone Deficiency (GHD) can persist from childhood or be newly acquired. GH therapy offers benefits in body composition, exercise capacity, skeletal integrity, and quality of life measures and is most likely to benefit those patients who have more severe GHD. The risks of GH treatment are low. GH dosing regimens should be individualized.

Reference: Molitch ME, Clemmons DR, Malozowski S, et al. Evaluation and treatment of adult growth hormone deficiency: an Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2006 May;91(5):1621-34. Epub 2006 Apr 24.

OBJECTIVE: The objective is to provide guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of adults with GH deficiency (GHD). PROCESS: Drafts were reviewed successively by the Clinical Guidelines Subcommittee, the Clinical Affairs Committee, and TES Council, and a version was placed on the TES web site for comments. At each level, the writing group incorporated needed changes.

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.

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Growth Hormone Increases Exercise Capacity

A 7% increase in exercise capacity occurred with HGH replacement therapy in a placebo controlled study of 55 patients conducted at the Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education, Oslo, Norway. Jostein Hallen, M.D., reported these findings at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in New Orleans. The average dose of HGH was 1.5 units daily. After nine months of treatment he reported approximately 4 pounds loss of fat accompanied by 4 pounds gain in lean body mass. Total and LDL cholesterol levels dropped. Maximal oxygen uptake increased and physical endurance increased by 7% over baseline in the treated patients.

Reference: Sullivan, MG. Family Practice News. January 1, 2005;35(1)

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Growth Hormone Improves Mental Function in Healthy Aging Adults

Results of this study show that age-related changes may be arrested or partially reversed by hormonal supplementation and that age-related decline in growth hormone axis may be related to age-related decline in cognition. Further they indicate that increasing levels of HGH of this neuro-hormonal axis may partially ameliorate such cognitive declines in healthy normal older adults and potentially in individuals with impaired cognitive function (i.e., mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease). GHRH resulted in improved performance on WAIS-R performance IQ (p<0.01), WAIS-R picture arrangement (p<0.01), finding A's (p<0.01), verbal sets (p<0.01) and single-dual task (p<0.04). GHRH-based improvements were independent of gender, estrogen status or baseline cognitive capacity.

Reference: Vitiello MV, Moe KE, Merriam GR, et al. Growth hormone releasing hormone improves the cognition of healthy older adults. Neurobiol Aging. 2006 Feb;27(2):318-23. Epub 2005 Mar 23. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, BB-1520D Health Science Building, University of Washington, Box 356560, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Seattle, WA 98195-6560, USA.