Determinants of cardiovascular risk in 2589 hypopituitary GH-deficient adults - a KIMS database analysis.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to clarify the relationship between GH deficiency (GHD) and some cardiovascular risk factors and to analyse the effect of GH replacement therapy in a large number of patients over a prolonged period of time.


METHODS
Data for analysis were retrieved from KIMS (Pfizer International Metabolic Database). Serum concentrations of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol and triglycerides were obtained from 2589 patients at baseline and from 1206 patients after 1 and 2 years of GH replacement therapy. Body mass index (BMI), waist and hip, resting blood pressure and body composition were also measured.


RESULTS
At baseline, the unfavourable effects of GHD were most obvious in the lipid profile demonstrating elevated mean total and LDL-cholesterol, in the increased waist circumference and the elevated BMI. The cholesterol concentration, BMI and body composition were significantly adversely affected by a number of factors, including age, sex and the use of anti-epileptic drugs. The therapeutic effect of GH was essentially uniform across the whole population. GH replacement reduced significantly the mean total and LDL-cholesterol, the waist circumference and the fat mass and was maintained during 2 years.


CONCLUSIONS
This analysis of a large number of patients confirmed that GHD adults present with an increased cardiovascular risk. The sustained improvement of the adverse lipid profile and body composition suggests that GH replacement therapy may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and the premature mortality seen in hypopituitary patients with untreated GHD.
Abs
Roger
R
Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium. rogers.abs@uza.be
Feldt-Rasmussen
Ulla
U
Mattsson
Anders F
AF
Monson
John P
JP
Bengtsson
Bengt-Ake
BA
Góth
Miklós I
MI
Wilton
Patrick
P
Koltowska-Häggström
Maria
M
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D016208:Databases, Factual; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000172:deficiency*; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D049629:Waist-Hip Ratio
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D019382:Human Growth Hormone; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone; D002784:Cholesterol