Abstract
Ten children with documented Growth Hormone Deficiency had their body composition determined before and during Human Growth Hormone treatment. Body composition was determined by underwater weighing and selected measures of subcutaneous fat thickness. The measurements were obtained before the onset of Human Growth Hormone therapy and subsequently every 6 months during the treatment.
During the first 6 months of treatment, most patient's demonstrated an increase in body fat without significant increase in lean body mass. During the second 6 months and subsequent periods of treatment, a decrease in body fat and increase in lean body mass was observed in most of the patients.
These data tend to indicate that for children receiving Human Growth Hormone therapy changes in body composition are not uniform. Body fat appears to increase in the first 6 months and lean body mass increases during subsequent periods of treatment.
This research was supported by a Seed Money Grant from Wright State University. Human Growth Hormone was received from National Pituitary Agency.
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Urban, M., Chumlea, W. 35 CHANGES IN BODY COMPOSITION DURING GROWTH HORMONE THERAPY IN CHILDREN WITH GROWTH HORMONE DEFICIENCY. Pediatr Res 19, 609 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198506000-00055
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198506000-00055