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HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE TREATMENT RETARDS AGING.

Recombinant human growth hormone (GH) has been used successfully to treat children with GH deficiency. Now comes evidence that GH treatments may retard certain aspects of aging in patients whose production of GH has diminished.

Twenty-one healthy men (ages 61 to 81) who had low levels of GH were followed for six months; 12 of the men then were treated with GH for another six months, and nine received no treatment. The treated group had a 9 percent increase in lean body mass, a 14 percent decrease in adipose-tissue mass, a 2 percent increase in vertebral bone density, and a 7 percent increase in skin thickness; the untreated patients had none of these changes. The changes in the treated group were equivalent to reversing the changes incurred during 10 to 20 years of aging. There were no clearly adverse effects of GH treatment, although blood pressure and blood glucose rose slightly.

About one-third of elderly men have low GH levels; GH treatment appears to retard several "inevitable" changes of aging in these men. The effects of GH treatment in women, in elderly people with low-normal levels of GH, and in younger people with low levels of GH remains to be seen. Larger studies are also needed to assess possible long-term risks of GH treatment. Finally, the cost-effectiveness of this expensive treatment must be evaluated. But this preliminary report is exciting.

— ALK

Published in Journal Watch General Medicine July 13, 1990

Citation(s):

Rudman D et al. Effects of human growth hormone in men over 60 years old. N Engl J Med 1990 Jul 5 323 1-6.

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