Growth Hormone Supplementation in the Elderly

Abstract

The expected demographic age shift in the world population over the next 3-5 decades will have a significant impact on society. Interventions with the potential to prevent or delay the loss of independence and to allow the majority of the older population to sustain strength, quality of life, and functionality are of increasing interest. Age-dependent muscle loss is recognized as a contributing factor of the age-dependent decline in strength and function. Circulating growth hormone (GH) levels show a significant decline with aging. Several age-dependent changes in body composition, such as muscle loss, have been associated with the age-dependent decline in GH in humans. The potential benefits and risks of restoring the GH-IGF-axis in the older population with GH or ghrelin-mimetics are discussed in this chapter.