Study summary · research use only
Growth hormone in the aging male
Plain-language summary
Paraphrased from the published abstract below — not a verdict on whether anything works.
This review discusses growth hormone (GH) and IGF-1 changes during advancing years-of-life (somatopause) in humans, focusing on men, associated with loss of vitality, muscle mass, and physical function, together with frailty, central adiposity, cardiovascular complications, and deterioration of mental function. The authors describe a limited number of controlled studies suggesting GH supplementation in older men increases lean mass by ~2 kg with similar reductions in fat mass, but note little evidence that GH treatment improves muscle strength and performance (e.g. walking speed or ability to climb stairs) or quality of life. The GHRH agonist tesamorelin is described as restoring normal GH pulsatility and amplitude, selectively reducing visceral fat, intima media thickness and triglycerides, and improving cognitive function in older persons, with the review noting women appear more resistant to treatment.
Abstract
Secretion of growth hormone (GH) and IGF-1 levels decline during advancing years-of-life. These changes (somatopause) are associated with loss of vitality, muscle mass, physical function, together with the occurrence of frailty, central adiposity, cardiovascular complications, and deterioration of mental function. For GH treatment to be considered for anti-aging, improved longevity, organ-specific function, or quality of life should be demonstrable. A limited number of controlled studies suggest that GH supplementation in older men increases lean mass by ∼2 kg with similar reductions in fat mass. There is little evidence that GH treatment improves muscle strength and performance (e.g. walking speed or ability to climb stairs) or quality of life. The GHRH agonist (tesamorelin) restores normal GH pulsatility and amplitude, selectively reduces visceral fat, intima media thickness and triglycerides, and improves cognitive function in older persons. This report critically reviews the potential for GH augmentation during aging with emphasis on men since women appear more resistant to treatment.
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