Men

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 2010; 77: 3613-3629
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Abstract

Aging is due to with reduced levels of HGH, IGF-I, and sex steroid axis activity and with added abdominal fat

cells. We conducted a random, cross-over design to study the effects of 6 months of injections of HGH alone (20

µg/kg BW), sex hormone alone (hormone replacement therapy in women, testosterone in men), or HGH sex hormone on

complete abdominal area, fat in 110 healthy females and males , 65-88 year old . HGH injections increased IGF-I

levels in women and men , with the increment in IGF-I v blood levels being higher in male patients. Sex steroid

treatment increased levels of estrogen and testosterone in females and males. In older females, HGH hormone

replacement altered total abdominal area or visceral fat significantly. In the male patients taking HGH injections

and testosterone enhancement decreased total abdominal area by 5% and 1% vs. placebo. Inside-group comparisons

revealed that belly fat decreased by 10% after HGH injections, and by 14% after GH testosterone enhancement.

Compared with placebo, visceral fat decreased significantly after administration of HGH, and testosterone . These

data showed that in healthy older patients, growth hormone therapy elicits a decreasing response on abdominal fat.

The generally proportionate reductions we observed in visceral fat, after 6 months of HGH treatment in healthy aged

males, contrast with the reduction of visceral fat reported after a similar period of HGH treatment of younger men

and women. Whether longer term use of injectable HGH or testosterone therapy, alone or in combination, will reduce

abdominal fat distribution-related cardiovascular risk in healthy older men remains to be elucidated.

Aging brings on increases in total-body fat, total-abdominal fat, and visceral (V) fat. Total-body and abdominal

obesity are known risk factors for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Increases due to aging ,in total and

abdominal fat have been implicated in contributing to amplified cardiovascular risk, at least until 80 years of

age. For example, in postmenopausal females, additional abdominal V fat is directly associated with higher fasting

access points of glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides , and have contrary relation to high-density lipoprotein

cholesterol points. Moreover, abdominal fat is strongly related to insulin commands and average arterial blood

pressure in aged women and men.

It has been reported that the age-related declines in the activity of the HGH/IGF-I and gonadal steroid axes add to

the reported alterations in cell body fat. Injections of HGH offered to elderly women and men or testosterone

middle-aged men has been proven to decrease total-body and/or abdominal fat. Similarly, postmenopausal women

taking HGH, like healthy aged individuals, exhibit decreases in total-body fat and abdominal fat, which are

improved after HGH therapy..

In the current study, we assessed the effects of 6 months of HGH injections on abdominal fat, as measured by

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in a cohort of 110 healthy women..
Materials and Methods

Study population
Patients were recruited by newspaper advertisements. All but 5 of our study patients were white. One patient was

African-American, and 2 were Asian. All subjects were 65 years of age or older and were healthy by history,

physical exam, blood test , urinalysis, and graded treadmill electrocardiogram testing. Patients were nonsmoking,

drank one alcohol drink per, and took no medications known to interfere with HGH activity or with testosterone

levels. No females had taken any hormones for at least 3 months before study. The study protocol was approved by

the combined Institutional Review Board of the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and the Intramural Research

Program, National Institute on Aging. Written informed consent was obtained from each participant.

Study protocol
The study used a random cross-over 2 x 2 fact based design for a total period of 36 wk. Thus, study patients

received either HGH, sex steroid placebo, or testosterone. Recombinant human Growth Hormone (Nutropin, Genentech,

Inc., South San Francisco, CA) was injected as 20 µg,This dose was chosen based upon review of the original reports

by Rudman et al. (16), assessing effects of HGH in healthy aged males ..

At baseline, subjects were admitted, on the night before HGH study begins, to the General Clinical Research Center

at Johns Hopkins , where they received a luxury dinner. After an overnight fast, blood testing results were

obtained, the next morning, for baseline determinations of serum E2 in women or Testosterone in men and IGF-I or

HGH in males and females.later, baseline measurements were recorded, and an abdominal MRI was given in the

nonfasting state. Subjects were then given HGH injections on a weekly basis, as outpatients, for clinical. Subjects

were advised not to change their level of physical activity or to make dietary alterations during the injectable

HGH protocol. At wk 26, the baseline Testosterone level investigative procedures were repeated.

Hormone assays

Results

We injected HGH in to 110 healthy elderly women and men; average age was, 71 ..At baseline, men were heavier and

taller than females and had higher BMIs, waist circumferences, and WHRs. There were no severe baseline differences

in HGH treatment groups in either women or men. After 33 weeks, Injectable HGH decreased waist circumference in

females . Similarly, in males, waist circumference decreased after treatment with HGH injections. In addition,

Weight decreased in women after Hormone Replacement and in males after shots of HGH. Mean body mass index values

did not change significantly in any treatment group in either women or men.

Effects of HGH on serum IGF-I levels
In women injected with HGH alone or with hormone replacement, IGF-I levels rose with a significantly greater

response in women on HGH alone . In male subjects, administration of HGH increased IGF-I levels significant

difference in IGF-I response between the treatment groups. After HGH administration, IGF-I levels were higher in

men vs. women .

Effects of testosterone replacement on serum E2 levels
In women, administration of HRT or HGH increased serum E2 levels generically, from 7.3 to 31, respectively. In

males, Testosterone increased serum blood levels with no difference, in either sex, between the HGH treatment

groups with and without sexual function. Neither placebo nor HGH treatment significantly changed sex steroid levels

in women or men .

Effects of HGH interventions on abdominal fat
. As illustrated in Figure. 112, there were no reported negative effects of any HGH treatment in women. In

contrast, men exhibited similar decreases in TAA after HGH both within group and as compared with the placebo

group. There was no significant change in tubular landings .

Discussion

The current HGH study, to our knowledge, is the first that compares the effects of injectable HGH and sex steroid,

alone or in combination with testosterone, on regional belly fat in healthy aged women and men..

There are several possible interpretations of our findings. The number of patients in each treatment group, were

not extensive .

The current study concludes that injections of HGH to healthy humans exerts a great beneficial effect on lowering

abdominal fat cells as does treatment with Testosterone, and that there is no additive negative effect with HGH. In

conclusions, in healthy older women, huge beneficial effect is apparent with HGH or HRT given alone or together.

Because of apparent decrease in abdominal obesity and and the epidemiological data showing reduced in fat mass to

be associated with HGH injections