Issue 111 Item 11 Growth Hormone and Metformin Reduces Fat Mass and CVD Factors

Growth hormone and metformin may be effective treatments for metabolic syndrome. >Metabolic syndrome, a disorder that includes a cluster of health problems including obesity, high blood pressure, poor lipid levels and high blood sugar, is one of the fastest growing health concerns among both doctors and patients. Growth hormone has previously been shown to reduce abdominal fat, which is a symptom of metabolic syndrome. German researchers conducted an 18 month double-blind, placebo controlled study to determine whether a combination of growth hormone and metformin reduce fat mass and improve cardiovascular risk factors without the negative effects on glucose metabolism in male patients with metabolic syndrome. The study’s 24 subjects were non-smoking men with an average age of 50 who did not suffer from heart disease or hyperlipidemia. The men received daily injections of growth hormone or placebo as well as twice daily metformin tablets.

“Patients who were treated with metformin and growth hormone experienced a slight decrease in their body fat,” said Dr. Burkhard Hermann, a researcher at the University of Essen and the lead investigator on the study. “However, the glucose metabolism was similar in the metformin and metformin plus growth hormone groups. This demonstrates that growth hormone and metformin may be effective treatments for metabolic syndrome.” Endo 2002