Growth hormone (GH) deficiency, GH treatment, and body composition.

Increased fat mass, decreased lean mass, muscular mass and bone mineral den sity are characteristic of the body composition in GH deficiency, GH treatm ent reverses these abnormalities. Body composition was determined in 20 you ng adults with GHD diagnosed in childhood, whose GH treatment was stopped 1 year earlier. Reevaluation of GH secretion in these patients showed that 1 2 remained GH deficient (confirmed GHD) while eight recovered normal GH sec retion (transient GHD). One year after stopping the GH treatment, patients with confirmed CHD showed an increased fat mass as compared with value at t he end of the treatment; in addition a decreased bone mineral content was o bserved in the patients with low physical activity. There was no increased fat mass in transient GHD; however, these patients presented with low bone mineral content, as previously reported in adults with history of delayed g rowth and adolescence. (C) 1998 Elsevier, Paris.