HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (1) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by van der Klaauw, A. A Articles by Pereira, A. M Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by van der Klaauw, A. A Articles by Pereira, A. M

The prevalence of the metabolic syndrome is increased in patients with GH deficiency, irrespective of long-term substitution with recombinant human GH

Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands, ¹ Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands and ² National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, Centre for Nutrition and Health, Bilthoven, The Netherlands

(Correspondence should be addressed to A A van der Klaauw; Email: a.a.van_der_klaauw{at}lumc.nl)

Objectives: Many reports demonstrate improvements in cardiovascular risk factors during GH replacement (rhGH) in adult GH deficiency (GHD). However, it remains to be determined to what extent these changes translate into a reduction of increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of long-term rhGH replacement on the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome (MS).

Design, settings, main outcome measures: The MS was scored by the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III definition in 50 consecutive GHD patients (45 ± 9 years of age), before and after 2 and 5 years of rhGH replacement, and the data of untreated patients were compared with the general population using data from a Dutch population-based study (n = 1062, 44 ± 8 years of age).

Results: Hypertriglyceridaemia (46.0 vs 18.5%, P < 0.0001), hypertension (66.0 vs 35.5%, P < 0.0001) and abdominal obesity (38.0 vs 23.4%, P = 0.0178) were more prevalent in untreated patients when compared with controls, resulting in a higher prevalence of the MS in patients (38.0 vs 15.7%, P < 0.0001). During rhGH replacement at a mean dose of 0.5 ± 0.2 mg/day resulting in IGF-I concentrations in the normal age-adjusted reference range, mean high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level increased compared with baseline (P < 0.001). However, the prevalence of (components of) the MS did not change after 2 or 5 years of treatment with rhGH.

Conclusion: In this study, the prevalence of the MS in patients with GHD is increased compared with healthy controls, irrespective of rhGH replacement.