Growth hormone treatment improves serum lipids and lipoproteins in adults with growth hormone deficiency

Abstract The effects of 6 months' treatment with recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) on serum lipids and lipoproteins were assessed in 24 adult patients with GH deficiency in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Compared with age-, weight-, and sex-matched controls, the patients had significantly higher serum concentrations of total cholesterol ( P = .002), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol ( P P = .011), and triglyceride ( P = .017), and lower concentrations of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ( P −1 over 6 months; P = .01 compared with placebo), LDL cholesterol level (4.22 ± 0.25 to 3.19 ± 0.23 mmol · L −1 ; P = .0003), LDL:HDL cholesterol ratio (5.57 ± 0.47 to 3.29 ± 0.33; P = .03), apo B level (1.07 ± 0.06 to 0.84 ± 0.07 g · L −1 ; P = .003), and apo B: A-1 ratio (0.73 ± 0.05 to 0.69 ± 0.05; P = .01). HDL cholesterol and apo A-1 levels did not change following rhGH treatment. The changes in lipid and lipoprotein levels were not significantly related to changes in insulin, thyroid hormones, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), or indices of adiposity. The data suggest that (1) adults with GH deficiency may be at increased risk of cardiovascular (CVS) disease due to hyperlipidemia, and (2) long-term treatment with rhGH improves lipid and lipoprotein profiles. Alterations in CVS mortality following long-term rhGH treatment remain to be assessed.