Growth Hormone Secretagogue Treatment in Hypogonadal Men Raises Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Levels.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Retrospective uncontrolled case series
PubMed 28830317 · doi:10.1177/1557988317718662
What was done
A retrospective medical record review was conducted for 105 men on testosterone replacement therapy who were prescribed a combination of GHRP-6, GHRP-2, and sermorelin (100 mcg of each, three times daily). Only 14 men met strict compliance and inclusion criteria. Baseline and posttreatment serum levels of IGF-1, testosterone, free testosterone, estradiol, LH, and FSH were evaluated over a mean treatment duration of 134 ± 88 days.
What was found
In the 14 included men (mean age 33.2 ± 2.9 years), mean serum IGF-1 increased from a baseline of 159.5 ± 26.7 ng/mL to 239.0 ± 54.6 ng/mL after treatment (p < .0001). Concomitant use of aromatase inhibitors and/or tamoxifen (used by 3 men prior to treatment and 4 men during treatment) resulted in smaller increases in IGF-1 levels.
Why it matters
It demonstrates that a triple-combination growth hormone secretagogue regimen can elevate circulating IGF-1 in young men receiving testosterone therapy.
Limits
The sample size is extremely small (n = 14) with high attrition from the initial 105 patients due to compliance requirements. The study lacks a control or placebo group, is retrospective, and did not report clinical outcomes such as lean body mass, fat loss, or safety measures in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports GHRP-2 and GHRP-6 are growth hormone-releasing peptides that stimulate the body's natural release of growth hormone.