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Is the somatopause an indication for growth hormone replacement?
1Department of Endocrinology, Guy's, King's and St Thomas' School of Medicine, King's College, and St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK.
Journal of Endocrinological Investigation
|August 12, 1999
Summary
Aging leads to decreased growth hormone (GH) secretion, known as somatopause, impacting body composition and vitality. Research explores whether GH replacement can safely improve health and quality of life in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Gerontology
- Metabolic Research
Background:
- Aging is characterized by a decline in spontaneous growth hormone (GH) secretion, termed somatopause.
- This decline correlates with reduced insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), decreased lean mass, increased body fat, and elevated LDL cholesterol.
- These changes contribute to functional decline, reduced mobility, and diminished quality of life in the elderly.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether the age-related decline in GH secretion is a physiological process or indicative of GH deficiency treatable with replacement therapy.
- To explore the potential benefits of GH replacement in improving body composition, physical function, and lipid profiles in older adults.
- To examine the role of lifestyle factors, such as exercise, in maintaining GH secretion and mitigating somatopause effects.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional studies correlating spontaneous GH secretion with health markers in the elderly.
- Clinical trials administering GH to adults with low IGF-I and elderly men, assessing changes in body composition, bone density, and lipids.
- Review of evidence on GH response to exercise and its impact on physical fitness and lean mass maintenance.
Main Results:
- GH replacement in adults with GH deficiency and elderly men with low IGF-I showed beneficial effects.
- These effects included increased lean body mass, improved bone mineral density, decreased body fat, and lowered LDL cholesterol.
- Exercise is a significant stimulus for GH secretion, essential for physical fitness and potentially helps maintain lean mass with aging.
Conclusions:
- The clinical features of somatopause overlap with adult-onset GH deficiency, suggesting potential benefits of GH replacement.
- GH replacement may offer a therapeutic window to improve longevity, quality of life, and potentially the quality of death in aging individuals.
- Lifestyle interventions, particularly exercise, play a crucial role in maintaining GH secretion and mitigating age-related decline.