Growth hormone - hormone replacement for the somatopause?
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of prior literature and physiological mechanisms without systematic search methodology
PubMed 10971102 · doi:10.1159/000023531
What was done
This narrative review summarizes physiological changes in 24-hour growth hormone (GH) secretion during aging (the somatopause) and examines published trials of GH replacement therapy in elderly individuals, both alone and combined with sex steroid supplementation.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values. It describes a progressive decline in GH pulse amplitude after age 21, resulting in total secretion rates by age 60 that match hypopituitary patients with organic pituitary lesions. Early replacement studies showed increases in lean body mass and bone mineral density alongside reductions in body fat and cholesterol, but had high dropout rates due to adverse effects. Later studies using lower, slowly titrated doses reported positive effects on lean body mass, central adiposity, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and aerobic capacity, with potential additive effects when combined with testosterone or estrogen.
Why it matters
It outlines the clinical rationale and dosing considerations for investigating low-dose GH replacement to counter age-related metabolic decline and frailty in older adults.
Limits
As an unsystematic narrative review, it presents no meta-analytic pooling, risk of bias assessments, or primary statistical data. Long-term safety, optimal dosing regimens, and definitive impacts on functional independence and frailty were not established.
Cited by
- contradicts In men, testosterone and growth hormone levels typically peak in their late 20s.