Benefits from growth hormone therapy after bariatric surgery

There is increasing interest in the use of bariatric surgery to achieve weight loss in individuals with severe obesity. However, there are concerns over the loss of lean body mass (LBM) following surgery in individuals who have functional growth hormone (GH) deficiency related to their obesity. We discuss here the results of an open-label study in which we studied the efficacy of GH treatment to prevent loss of LBM and metabolic disturbances in 24 women with functional severe GH deficiency who were undergoing laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding for severe obesity. Participants were randomized to standard care (including a dietary restriction programme) with or without GH treatment, and were studied for 6 months. Overall, weight loss and reductions in waist circumference were similar in the two groups. GH treatment was associated with a significant decrease in fat mass and a significantly smaller decrease in LBM, as well as improvements in insulin sensitivity, and lipid profile.