AACE Issues New Medical Guidelines for Proper and Ethical Use of Grow...(s age sex adiposity and concurrent medic...),Health

"Controlled trials, using strict dosing regimes and measuring clinical end points, such as body composition and insulin sensitivity, have shown us that growth hormone dosing should be individualized, with close attention to avoiding side effects," Dr. Cook said.

The AACE guidelines also outline new cut points for stimulation testing of growth hormone deficiency. Stimulation testing measures normal secretion or low growth hormone secretion, making them an accurate barometer to gauge growth hormone deficiency.

"If the cut point is five and the highest response is four, then the patient is growth hormone deficient," Dr. Cook said. "Some tests also depend upon body mass index such as the Arginine + growth hormone releasing hormone stimulation test."

Despite a growing body of evidence on the benefits of growth hormone therapy, there is still considerable inconsistency in the United States in the clinical practice of growth hormone replacement for adults.

"There are multiple factors accounting for this," Dr. Cook said. "Such as the high cost of growth hormone therapy, the need for daily injections, the lack of awareness regarding its indications, diagnosis, long-term surveillance, and concerns about whether there are long-term risks involved."

Consequences of untreated growth hormone deficiency include cardiovascular complications, metabolic complications, osteopenia/osteoporosis, and diminished quality of life.

To view the AACE guidelines, please Click Here.

About AACE

AACE is a professional medical organization with more than 6,000 members in the United States and 92 other c
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