Growth hormone deficiency in adult.
- Author:
Dong Sun KIM
1
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, Hanyang University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
Growth hormone;
Growth hormone deficiency;
Hypopituitarism
- MeSH:
Adult;
Body Composition;
Growth Hormone;
Human Growth Hormone;
Humans;
Hypoglycemia;
Hypopituitarism;
Risk Factors
- From:Korean Journal of Medicine
2008;75(3):257-261
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a clinical syndrome associated with increased morbidity and possibly mortality. Many clinical studies over the past decade show beneficial effects of replacement therapy with recombinant human growth hormone in GHD in adults. GH replacement in patients with GHD induces reduction of cardiovascular risk factors, improvement of lipid profile, normalization of body composition and improvement of exercise capacity, as well as enhanced psychological well-being. To make a diagnosis of GHD, insulin-induced hypoglycemia is recommended as a standard test, but the arginine-GH-releasing hormone test achieves comparable separation between normal and hypopituitary subjects in most groups. GHD should be always confirmed by the results of biochemical, especially provocative, tests, and therapy should be limited to those with biochemically proven growth hormone deficiency.
