Is there a relationship between spontaneous GH secretion, anthropometric parameters and exercise capacity in healthy men over 50 years?
BACKGROUND
The use of growth hormone (GH) in deficient adults has already been demonstrated to result in several benefits regarding metabolic parameters, body composition and quality of life. Due to the similarities between GH deficiency in adults and the aging process, the concept of somatopause has emerged.


OBJECTIVE
Correlate the GH secretion profile in healthy men older than 50 years with anthropometric parameters and exercise capacity.


METHODS
Twenty-nine healthy male were selected, with a mean age of 57.9+/-4.2 years (range 50-66). After hospital admission, body mass index (BMI), body composition (fat mass) and abdominal circumference, 24-h GH profile, GH peak and basal IGF-I were evaluated, and all the patients underwent a treadmill stress testing to estimate exercise capacity with the Bruce protocol, with evaluation of the maximum oxygen peak, maximum heart rate and METs. All the results are shown as mean+/-Std deviation: BMI -26.5+/-4.9kg/m2, percent fat mass -27.1+/-6.2%, abdominal circumference -92.1+/-10.1cm, 24h GH profile -0.3+/-0.2ng/dl, peak GH -2.5+/-2.0ng/dl, IGF-I -202.4+/-72.4ng/dl, maximum oxygen peak -31.9+/-6.8L, maximum heart rate - 161.4+/-7.5 bpm and METs - 9.1+/-1.9. After regression analysis using the GH secretion profile (mean GH in 24h, spontaneous peak GH and basal IGF-I) as dependent variable, no correlations were found between these and the other evaluated parameters.
Micmacher
E
E
Endocrine Service of Clementino Fraga Filho University Hospital, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ - Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. dudamicmacher@ig.com.br
Conceição
F L
FL
Netto
L S
LS
Redorat
R
R
Biesek
S
S
Gold
J
J
Cenci
M C
MC
Santos
M J C F
MJ
Taboada
G F
GF
Assumpção
R
R
Montenegro
F S
FS
Roisman
V
V
Paula
S K
SK
Vaisman
M
M
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology*; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone