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Growth hormone reduced HIV-related visceral fat
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Low-dose growth hormone therapy may lower visceral fat and truncal obesity related to HIV and relative growth hormone deficiency, according to recent data.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine the efficacy of low-dose GH on body composition, glucose and cardiovascular factors in patients with HIV and relative GH deficiency.
The trial included 56 patients with HIV who had abdominal fat and a peak GH secretion of <7.5 ng/mL. Patients were randomly assigned to subcutaneous GH or placebo titrated to the upper quartile of the normal range for insulin-like growth factor-I for 18 months, according to the researchers. Patients started at a minimum dose of 2 mcg/kg per day and went to a maximum dose of 6 mcg/kg per day.
Researchers conducted safety analyses on 55 patients and efficacy analyses on 52 patients.
In the GH group, the researchers reported decreased visceral adipose tissue (–19 cm2; P=.49), trunk fat (–0.8 kg; P=.04), diastolic blood pressure (–7 mm Hg; P=.006) and triglycerides (–7 mg/dL; P=.002), compared with placebo. However, two-hour glucose levels increased in the GH group vs. placebo with a difference of 22 mg/dL (P=.009).
IGF-I levels also increased in the GH group, compared with placebo (129 ng/mL; P<.001). The number of adverse events between both groups was similar: 23% for GH vs. 28% for placebo (P=.70), according to the researchers.
JAMA. 2008;300:509-519.