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Updated: Aug 12, 2026
Echocardiographic Assessment of Cardiac Anatomy and Function in Adult Rats
Published on: December 13, 2019
M-mode echocardiographic evaluation of systolic function, LV volume and mass in children on growth hormone therapy
L Stamoyannou1, D Georgacopoulos, C Trapali
1Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Nursing, University of Athens, Greece.
Insights
Growth hormone (GH) therapy in children with GH deficiency did not show adverse cardiac effects. Echocardiography revealed no significant differences in cardiac function or blood pressure compared to controls, suggesting long-term safety.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Cardiology
- Growth Hormone Therapy
Background:
- Abnormal endogenous growth hormone (GH) secretion in adults is linked to cardiac dysfunction.
- Assessing the cardiac safety of GH therapy in pediatric patients is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the cardiac effects of long-term growth hormone (GH) therapy in children and adolescents with GH deficiency.
- To compare cardiac parameters between GH-deficient children on therapy and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Echocardiography was used to assess left ventricular volume, mass, and systolic function (shortening fraction) in 42 GH-deficient children and 34 controls.
- Blood pressure was measured in both groups.
- Correlation analysis was performed for GH dose and duration of therapy with cardiac measurements.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were observed in blood pressure between GH-deficient children and controls.
- No correlation was found between GH dose/duration and left ventricular measurements.
- Echocardiographic parameters showed no significant differences between the patient and control groups.
Conclusions:
- Long-term growth hormone (GH) administration appears safe regarding cardiac function in GH-deficient children.
- Further extended follow-up studies are necessary to definitively confirm the long-term safety of recombinant human GH (rhGH) treatment.
Abstract:
Since abnormal endogenous growth hormone (GH) secretion in adults is associated with cardiac dysfunction, it is important to ensure that GH therapy in children and adolescents does not cause similar effects. Forty-two growth hormone-deficient children (Group 1) (19 girls, 23 boys) were evaluated. Six girls and seven boys were prepubertal with a mean age of 6.65 yr (range 4.37-9.73 yr). Twenty-nine were pubertal (13 girls, 16 boys), mean age 13.57 yr (range 10.08-16.76 yr). The patients had been on long-term GH therapy for 34.97 +/- 18.78 months with an average weekly dose of 17.61 IU/m2/wk. The mean height SDS was -2.85 +/- 1.22 for boys and -2.5 +/- 0.64 for girls at the onset of therapy, and at the time of examination -1.8 +/- 1.32 for the boys and 1.87 +/- 0.94 for the girls. Thirty-four normal control subjects (Group 2) matched for age, sex and body size were also studied. Left ventricular volume (LV), mass and systolic function [shortening fraction (FS)] were evaluated by two-dimensional guided M-mode echocardiography. Blood pressure was also measured. No differences in blood pressure were observed between patients and controls. There was no correlation of GH dose and duration of therapy with LV measurements. No significant differences were found between Group 1 and Group 2. These observations suggest that long term administration of GH does not produce adverse cardiac effects in GH deficient children. Nevertheless, longer follow-up studies are still needed to confirm the safety of long-term rhGH treatment.
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