Table 3.

Adult GHD

Clinical Consequence	Effect of GH Replacement
Body composition
General and central adiposity	Decrease
Reduce lean mass	Increase
Reduced bone mass	Increase
Function
Reduced exercise capacity	Improve
Muscle weakness	Improve
Impaired cardiac function	Improve
Hypohydrosis	Improve
Quality of life
Low mood	Improve
Fatigue	Improve
Low motivation	Improve
Reduced satisfaction	Improve
Cardiovascular risk profile
Abnormal lipid profile	Improve
Insulin resistance	Improves in long term
Inflammatory markers	Decrease
Intimal media thickening	Decrease
Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events	Unknown
Laboratory
Blunted peak GH to stimulation
Low IGF-I	Increase
Hyperinsulinemia	Increase
High LDL- and low HDL-cholesterol	Improve
Longevity	Unknown

Modified from S. Melmed and K. Ho: Pituitary physiology and diagnostic evaluation. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology (edited by S. Melmed, K. S. Polonsky, P. Reed Larsen, H. M. Kronenberg), Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA, 2010 (83), with permission.