TRH STIMULATION TEST IN HEALTHY ELDERLY - PARADOXICAL RESPONSE OF GROWTH-HORMONE IS ABNORMAL IN NORMAL AGING

The purpose of this study was to measure TSH (thyrotropin), PRL (prola ctin) and GH (growth hormone) response to a TRH (thyrotropin releasing hormone) stimulation test in 37 healthy elderly male subjects and det ermine if these responses correlate with the incidence of mental decli ne; and also, to determine if these responses occur more frequently in the elderly than in the general population. A hyperresponse of TSH wa s documented in 7 of our 37 elderly male subjects, a delayed response of TSH in 4, a low response of PRL in 29 and a significant paradoxical response of GH in 2. Those subjects with a significant paradoxical re sponse of GH were 82 and 83 gears of age and their HDS was 20.0 and 25 .5, respectively. We did not find a causal relationship between mental decline and the paradoxical response of GH, but our data suggests tha t the paradoxical response of GH is not normal in elderly older than 8 0 years old.