RhGh did not consistently affect blood pressure or bone mineral density .
RhGH consistently improved quality of life ( QoL ) parameters reflected in AGHDA-scores .
Conclusion RhGH replacement in elderly subjects with GHD  decreases LDL cholesterol levels and improves QoL , but the effects on other parameters are not unequivocal .
There were no data on the efficacy and safety  of rhGH treatment in octogenarians with GHD
Context Recombinant human GH ( rhGH ) is prescribed for the treatment of adults with GH deficiency ( GHD ) .
However , conflicting data are available on the efficacy of rhGH treatment in elderly GHD patients .
Objective To assess the efficacy of rhGH treatment in elderly GHD subjects .
A low starting dose of genotropin in growth hormone-deficient adults.
We investigated the effect of 12 weeks of recombinant human GH therapy given in three different doses on serum insulin-like growth factor I ( IGF-I ) and IGF-binding protein-3 ( IGFBP-3 ) in patients with GH deficiency ( GHD ) . We used low doses of recombinant human GH ( Genotropin ) , as we and others recently found a strong decrease in physiological GH production with age in healthy controls , especially in those older than 30 yr . Sixty patients with GHD ( aged 20 - 70 yr ) were r and omized to one of the three dose groups . Group 1 used a dose of 0.6 IU/day for 12 weeks . Group 2 started at a dose of 0.6 IU for 4 weeks followed by 1.2 IU/day for 8 weeks . Group 3 used 0.6 IU for 4 weeks , followed by 1.2 IU/day for 4 weeks and 1.8 IU/day thereafter . IGF-I concentrations ( nanomoles per L ) were determined by RIA after extraction and purification on ODS-silica columns . The measurement of IGFBP-3 ( milligrams per L ) was performed by RIA . The three groups were equal with regard to age , sex and body mass index . At the start of the study , we found lower levels of both serum IGF-I and IGFBP-3 in childhood-onset GHD than in adult-onset GHD . Moreover , there was a gender difference ; female GHD patients had lower serum IGF-I levels than male patients .  Serum IGF-I levels were low in both childhood-onset and adult-onset GHD . Serum IGFBP-3 levels , however , were low in patients with childhood-onset GHD , but normal in patients with adult-onset GHD . After 12 weeks of treatment , IGF-I levels were low normal in the low dose group and normal in groups 2 and 3 of both adult-onset and childhood-onset GHD . In adult-onset GHD , serum IGFBP-3 increased to high normal levels in all groups , whereas it increased to low normal levels in childhood-onset GHD . This study demonstrates differences in the biochemical characteristics of childhood-onset and adult-onset GHD . In patients with adult-onset GHD , serum IGFBP-3 levels are not significantly decreased and , therefore , can not be used as a screening method for GHD or as a dose-finding parameter . GH therapy at doses of 0.6 and 1.2 IU/day in male and female patients , respectively , is , in general , able to increase serum IGF-I into the normal range after 12 weeks of treatment , without reaching supranormal levels of serum IGF-I. This dose could , therefore , be a starting dose in GH-deficient adults
RhGh did not consistently affect blood pressure or bone mineral density .
RhGH consistently improved quality of life ( QoL ) parameters reflected in AGHDA-scores .
Conclusion RhGH replacement in elderly subjects with GHD  decreases LDL cholesterol levels and improves QoL , but the effects on other parameters are not unequivocal .
There were no data on the efficacy and safety  of rhGH treatment in octogenarians with GHD
Context Recombinant human GH ( rhGH ) is prescribed for the treatment of adults with GH deficiency ( GHD ) .
However , conflicting data are available on the efficacy of rhGH treatment in elderly GHD patients .
Objective To assess the efficacy of rhGH treatment in elderly GHD subjects .