[Benefits and risks of growth hormone in adults with growth hormone deficiency].
Adult growth hormone (GH) deficiency is a well-recognized clinical syndrome with adverse health consequences. Many of these may improve after replacement therapy with recombinant GH. This treatment induces an increase in lean body mass and a decrease in fat mass. In long-term studies, bone mineral density increases and muscle strength improves. Health-related quality of life tends to increase after treatment with GH. Lipid profile and markers of cardiovascular risk also improve with therapy. Nevertheless, GH replacement therapy is not without risk. According to some studies, GH increases blood glucose, body mass index and waist circumference and may promote long-term development of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Risk of neoplasia does not appear to be increased in adults treated with GH, but there are some high-risk subgroups. Methodological shortcomings and difficulties inherent to long-term studies prevent definitive conclusions about the relationship between GH and survival. Therefore, research in this field should remain active.
Servicio de Endocrinología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, España. Electronic address: juanjose.diez@salud.madrid.org.
Juan J
JJ
Díez
Servicio de Endocrinología, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de A Coruña, Departamento de Medicina, Universidad de A Coruña, A Coruña, España.
Fernando
F
Cordido
D000328:Adult; D004393:Dwarfism, Pituitary / Q000188:drug therapy; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D019382:Human Growth Hormone
Deficiencia de hormona del crecimiento; Growth hormone; Growth hormone deficiency; Hipopituitarismo; Hormona del crecimiento; Hypopituitarism; Tratamiento; Treatment