International AIDS Conference: Low-Dose HGH Research

A hormone that is better known for its illicit use among some athletes may help treat some troublesome complications that come along with the AIDS virus. Unfortunately, the study conducted found that the hormones might come with some potential risky side effects.

The low-dose injections of a human growth hormone, also known as HGH, can reduce fat deposits around internal organs in the abdomen by approximately 10 percent. In addition, the shots of hormones also lowered blood pressure and levels of fats in the blood called triglycerides. The down side is this also resulted in elevated levels of blood sugar.

Patients with HIV often develop fat deposits and high levels of cholesterol, triglycerides and blood sugar, which can put them at risk for developing heart problems. Physicians believe that these results come from the HIV medications and a faulty immune system, which is caused by the infection. Medications can treat some of the complications listed above but fat buildups, which can affect other parts of the body, are more complicated to fix. Something that could help with the fat buildup is getting lots of exercise and a healthy diet.

The study’s co-author, Dr. Steven Grinspoon of Massachusetts General Hospital, said that the results found by the study show that the human growth hormones might be useful for patients with HIV that have abdominal fat accumulations and blood sugar levels that are normal, although it’s “not a panacea.” He called the approach to the study experimental and said that new AIDS medications with fewer side effects are needed.

The AIDS expert at Emory University, Dr. Jeffrey Lennox, said that while there were fewer side effects with lower doses of the hormones, the results were disappointing. He also noted that the hormone shots would have limited use at best for treating HIV-associated abnormalities of fat.

This study will appear in the Journal of the American Medical Association and was among reports that were prepared for presentation at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City.

This study involved 55 patients that were infected with the AIDS virus who also had low levels of naturally occurring human growth hormone. This is a condition that is common among patients with HIV that also have fat deposits that are abnormal. Approximately half of the patients gave themselves daily shots of hormones. The other half received dummy medication for 18 months.

Some athletes such as body builders and anti-aging enthusiasts to enhance growth of muscles and reduce the amount of fat on their bodies have used some manufactured versions of the human growth hormones. However, the hormones have only been approved for use on AIDS patients for muscle wasting and conditions that impair growth.

The company EMD Serono Inc provided the HGH or this study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Grinspoon, the study’s co-author, has worked at Serono as consultant.

In research conducted earlier, Dr. Grinspoon and his colleagues used high doses of the hormones to successfully treat abnormal HIV-related problems with fat, but the risks, which include tissue swelling, outweighed the benefits of the hormones.