Endocrine Abstracts

The insulin tolerance test (ITT) is used to determine the integrity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamic-somatotroph (GH) axes in patients suspected of ACTH and GH deficiency. In adults a cortisol response <500nmol/L is considered pathological and a GH peak <9mU/L is consistent with severe GH deficiency. Exercise is an alternative stimulus to GH release which may be used to diagnose GH deficiency during childhood but is rarely used during adult li...