Clinical utility of cycle exercise for the physiologic assessment of growth hormone release in children.
The clinical utility of exercise as a stimulus for the physiologic assessment of growth hormone (GH) deficiency was examined in healthy children. In response to exercise tests performed on different days, serum GH concentrations exceeded 7 micrograms/L on both days in 9 of 10 children. Although there is variation in this method of physiologic testing in the response of serum GH concentration (significant mean differences in GH peak values, 27.1 vs 19.8 micrograms/L for the two tests), the exercise test proved clinically valid in that diagnostic levels of GH were exceeded on both days 90% of the time. We conclude that this exercise evaluation protocol has clinical utility for the assessment of GH deficiency in children.
Department of Human Services, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, Charlottesville.
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RL
Seip
A
A
Weltman
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D
Goodman
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AD
Rogol
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
D013006:Growth Hormone