Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: Growth hormone (GH) deficiency in adult patients is associated with poor quality of life and increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We studied the effects of GH replacement on the lipid profile in adult patients with GH deficiency treated over a 3-year period.

Method: A retrospective analysis of 70 adult patients, who had completed 3 years of GH therapy. Growth hormone is initiated at a dose of 0.3 mg/day and titrated to 0.5 mg/day over the first 3 months period. Titration is made at each visit based aiming for a target IGF1 level. Fasting lipids and IGF1 were measured at every visit.

Results: Analysis of results was focused on baseline, 6 months, 12 months, 24 months and 36 months. Significant improvement was observed in all lipid parameters except HDL-cholesterol, this was evident after 12 months for total and LDL-cholesterol and after 24 months for triglyceride.

Total cholesterol (mean±S.D.: 6.1±0.8; 5.8±1.0; 5.49±0.93; 5.2±0.82; 5.07±0.93); LDL-cholesterol (mean±S.D.: 3.6±0.9; 3.4±0.8; 2.92±0.95; 2.73±0.77; 2.58±0.88) and triglyceride (mean±S.D.: 2.6±1.1; 2.32±1.0; 2.23±0.97; 2.06±0.44; 1.98±0.98). There was minimal elevation of HDL-cholesterol (mean±S.D.: 1.2±0.5 vs 1.4±0.4).

Conclusion: Treatment with GH in GH deficient adults results in significant improvement in all lipid parameters with modest elevation in HDL-cholesterol. Reduction in total and LDL-cholesterol was observed after 12 months of GH therapy, but reduction in triglyceride level was only evident after 2 years.