Human growth hormone ( GH ), or Somatropin, is widely used as an antiaging therapy, although its use for this purpose has not been approved by the FDA ( Food and Drug Administration ).

Researchers at Stanford University in United States, evaluated the safety and efficacy of Somatropin therapy in the healthy elderly.

The review’s authors analysed 31 articles describing 18 unique study populations met the inclusion criteria. A total of 220 participants who received GH ( 107 person-years ) completed their respective studies.

Study participants were elderly ( mean age, 69 years ) and overweight ( mean body mass index, 28 kg/m2 ).
Initial daily GH dose ( mean, 14 microg per kg of body weight ) and treatment duration ( mean, 27 weeks ) varied.

In participants treated with Somatropin compared with those not treated with GH, overall fat mass decreased ( change in fat mass, –2.1 kg ) and overall lean body mass increased (change in lean body mass, 2.1 kg ) ( P < 0.001 ), and their weight did not change significantly ( change in weight, 0.1 kg; P = 0.87 ).

Total cholesterol levels decreased ( change in cholesterol, –0.29 mmol/L; P = 0.006 ), although not significantly after adjustment for body composition changes.
Other outcomes, including bone density and other serum lipid levels, did not change.

Persons treated with Somatropin were significantly more likely to experience soft tissue edema, arthralgias, carpal tunnel syndrome, and gynecomastia and were somewhat more likely to experience the onset of diabetes mellitus and impaired fasting glucose.

Randomized, controlled trials evaluating GH therapy in the healthy elderly is limited but suggests that it is associated with small changes in body composition and increased rates of adverse events. On the basis of this evidence, growth hormone cannot be recommended as an antiaging therapy.
Somatropin is sold under a number of brand names, including Genotropin, Humatrope, Nutropin.

Source: Annals of Internal Medicine, 2007

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