Endocrine Abstracts

JOINT2464

Introduction: Growth hormone (GH) influences body composition, appearance, and physical performance by stimulating muscle tissue growth while promoting lipolysis. However, it is not clear if recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) replacement impacts physical fitness of adult patients with severe growth hormone deficiency (GHD).

Aim: To assess the impact of a 6-month rhGH supplementation on the physical fitness of patients with GHD.

Patients and methods: Seventeen adult patients with GHD were enrolled (9 females, 8 males). The mean age of patients was 40.4±12 years. Physical fitness was assessed using exercise tests such as 6-minute walk test, 30-second chair stand test, up-and-go test, handgrip strength test baseline and after 6 months of rhGH treatment.

Results: All patients normalized IGF-1 level after 6 months of rhGH treatment. The mean IGF-1 concentration after 6 months of rhGH treatment was 156.45± 58.29 ng/ml (2.03 x lower limit of normal (LLN) vs. 66.89± 42.62 ng/ml (0.87 x LLN) at baseline. At baseline five patients had IGF-1 levels in the lower quartile of the normal range. We found increase in physical performance after 6 months of rhGH treatment measured by 6-minute walk test (6MWT): 614.0± 92.1 m vs. 539.7± 43.1 m(P <0.05), 30-second chair stand test (30sChST): 18.3 ± 5.6 repetitions vs. 13.0 ± 2.7 repetitions(P <0.05), Up-and-go test (UaGT): Mean task completion time was 5.21 ± 0.77 s vs. 5.78 ± 0.76 s(P <0.05), Handgrip strength test (HST): 36.2 ± 12.2 kg vs. 33.4 ± 10.2 kg(P <0.05). Divided by sex, the results are as follows. Women: 6MWT: 599.4 ± 57.0 vs. 527.9 ± 45.0, 30sChST: 17.6 ± 0.6 vs. 11.8 ± 1.6, UaGT: 5.42 ± 0.59 vs. 5.93 ± 0.63, HST: 26.8 ± 4.3 vs. 26.3 ± 5.5. Men: 6MWT: 630.4 ± 78.9 vs. 552.9± 39.3, 30sChST: 19.2 ± 7.3 vs. 14.5 ± 3.1, UaGT: 4.97 ± 0.92 vs. 5.62 ± 0.91, HST: 46.9 ± 8.6 vs. 41.4 ± 8.1.

Conclusions: Six-month rhGH replacement therapy resulting in normalization of IGF-1 level improves physical fitness of adult patients with severe GHD.