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Long-term GH therapy improved body composition, muscle in Prader-Willi syndrome
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Research suggests that 2 years of growth hormone therapy in adults with Prader-Willi syndrome improved body composition, muscle size and quality, and increased muscle strength and exercise tolerance independently from the growth hormone secretory status.
“These findings may be important in the strategic perspective for the use of GH supplementation in the treatment of [Prader-Willi syndrome] adults, especially in view of the present result which indicate that improvements deriving from GH supplementation are not dependent from a concomitant condition of GH [deficiency],” researchers wrote.
They examined 15 obese patients with Prader-Willi syndrome (nine men; six women; aged 19 to 35 years; BMI 37.7-59.9) before and after 12 and 25 months of GH treatment. Severe GH deficiency was observed in six patients (40%).
Data indicated that lean body mass was significantly increased at 12 months (P<.05) and 24 months (P<.05). Percentage of body fat at 12 months (P<.05) and 24 months (P<.05) was reduced. And patients showed augmented cross-sectional area skeletal muscle and attenuation of skeletal muscle of both lumbar at 12 months (P<.01) and 24 months (P<.001), and thigh muscles at 24 months (P<.05), according to data.
Maximal handgrip isometric strength increased by 7% at 12 months (P<.05) and 13% at 24 months (P<.001), researchers wrote.
Furthermore, isokinetic knee extension peak torque extrapolated at zero angular velocity was significantly higher at 24 months (P<.01) and exercise endurance before exhaustion increased by 13% (P<.05) at 12 months and 17% (P<.05) at 24 months.
However, the researchers observed no changes in walking tests, according to data. There were also no statistically significant differences in GH responses between patients with or without GH deficiencies.
“GH therapy does not appear to induce appreciable derangements of glucose homeostasis, while a positive effect on [C-reactive protein] levels is observed,” researchers wrote.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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