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Body composition in growth hormone-deficient adults.
A Binnerts1, P Deurenberg, G R Swart
1Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Dijkzigt, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|May 1, 1992
Summary
Growth hormone (GH)-deficient adults have higher body fat percentages than healthy individuals, even at similar weights. This difference is linked to altered body impedance and extracellular water levels, impacting body composition assessments.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Human Physiology
- Body Composition Analysis
Background:
- Growth hormone (GH) plays a crucial role in regulating body composition.
- GH deficiency in adults can lead to significant metabolic and physiological changes.
- Accurate assessment of body composition is vital for understanding the health implications of GH deficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare body composition between adults with GH deficiency and matched healthy controls.
- To investigate the utility of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) in assessing body composition in GH-deficient individuals.
- To determine if standard BIA prediction formulas are applicable to GH-deficient populations.
Main Methods:
- Utilized bioelectrical impedance, deuterium oxide dilution, and hydrodensitometry for body composition assessment.
- Compared GH-deficient adults with a control group matched for age, sex, height, weight, and BMI.
- Analyzed body impedance after correcting for height and fat-free mass.
Main Results:
- GH-deficient adults exhibited higher body-fat percentages despite comparable anthropometric measures.
- Corrected body impedance was higher in GH-deficient subjects.
- The observed higher body impedance is attributed to reduced extracellular water in GH-deficient individuals.
Conclusions:
- Standard body composition prediction formulas derived from normal subjects are not suitable for GH-deficient adults.
- GH deficiency significantly alters body composition and hydration status.
- Further research is needed to develop specific BIA equations for GH-deficient populations.