Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

A Porcine Heterotopic Heart Transplantation Protocol for Delivery of Therapeutics to a Cardiac Allograft
08:30

A Porcine Heterotopic Heart Transplantation Protocol for Delivery of Therapeutics to a Cardiac Allograft

Published on: February 14, 2022

The use of hormonal therapy in pediatric heart disease

Brandon M Nathan1, Joseph Sockalosky, Lara Nelson

  • 1University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital, 516 Delaware St. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.

Frontiers in Bioscience (Scholar Edition)
|June 2, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Several endocrine hormones show safety but inconsistent efficacy as adjunctive therapies for pediatric cardiac disease. Further research is needed to clarify their benefits in improving cardiac function and clinical outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Endocrinology
  • Cardiovascular Physiology

Background:

  • The endocrine system significantly influences cardiovascular function.
  • Hormonal therapies are explored for pediatric cardiac conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the safety and efficacy of specific hormones as adjunctive therapies in pediatric cardiac disease.
  • To assess the clinical utility of thyroid hormone, mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids, arginine-vasopressin (AVP), and growth hormone (GH).

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies investigating hormonal therapies in pediatric cardiac patients.
  • Analysis of trial results regarding safety, symptom relief, cardiac function, and clinical outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Thyroid hormone supplementation is safe but shows modest, inconsistent benefits.
  • Glucocorticoids reduce inflammation post-cardiopulmonary bypass but lack clinical outcome impact.
  • AVP use in pediatric shock is limited by inconsistent data and side effects.
  • Mineralocorticoids offer little proven benefit for neurocardiogenic syncope.
  • GH improves cardiac function in deficient children, but effectiveness in heart failure varies.

Conclusions:

  • Hormonal therapies (thyroid, mineralocorticoid, glucocorticoid, AVP, GH) appear generally safe in pediatric cardiac conditions.
  • The efficacy of these hormones in improving symptoms, cardiac function, and clinical outcomes remains largely uncertain.

Related Concept Videos

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism01:24

Pharmacokinetics in Pediatric Patients: Drug Metabolism

In pediatric care, understanding the nuances of hepatic drug metabolism is crucial, as it significantly differs from that of adults. This divergence is primarily due to the developmental stage of drug-metabolizing enzymes, which affects how medications are processed in the body. In neonates, for instance, the activity of Phase I enzymes—critical for the initial breakdown of drugs—is markedly reduced, functioning at just 20–40% of the levels seen in adults. This reduction poses a challenge in...
Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy01:29

Cardiomyopathy III: Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM, is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder characterized by asymmetric left ventricular hypertrophy without ventricular dilation. It is more common in men and is typically diagnosed in young, athletic adults.EtiologyHCM is primarily genetic and is caused by mutations in genes encoding sarcomeric proteins. Researchers have identified over 1400 mutations across at least 11 different genes. Among these, the most frequently occurring mutations are found in the...
Heart Failure VI: Adjunct Therapies01:22

Heart Failure VI: Adjunct Therapies

Additional therapies for treating patients with heart failure (HF) may include procedural interventions, supplemental oxygen, the management of sleep disorders, and nutritional therapy.Procedural InterventionsImplantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator: For patients at risk of life-threatening arrhythmias due to severe left ventricular dysfunction, an Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) can detect and terminate these arrhythmias, preventing sudden cardiac death and improving survival rates.
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers01:26

Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers

Receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are two critical categories of drugs employed in the treatment of pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). PAH is a disease that causes high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, resulting in chest pain, fatigue, and shortness of breath.
TKIs, such as imatinib (Gleevec), are particularly effective in tackling the growth and mitogenic factors that become upregulated in PAH patients. These factors contribute to the...
Heart Failure Drugs: Inhibitors of Renin-Angiotensin System01:26

Heart Failure Drugs: Inhibitors of Renin-Angiotensin System

The activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) contributes to cardiac remodeling, and inhibiting the RAAS is a pharmacological target in heart failure management. As a result, neurohumoral modulation is a crucial treatment principle for managing heart failure. This approach involves using medications like ACE inhibitors (ACEIs), angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), β-blockers, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs), and neutral...
Hormonal Regulation01:33

Hormonal Regulation

The renin-aldosterone system is an endocrine system which guides the renal absorption of water and electrolytes, thus managing blood pressure and osmoregulation. Activation of the system begins in the kidneys with a small cluster of cells adjacent to the afferent and efferent blood vessels of the renal corpuscle. As the nephrons are filtering blood, juxtaglomerular cells monitor blood pressure. If they detect a decrease in pressure, they release the hormone renin into the bloodstream.