All concepts, explanations, trials, and studies have been
re-written in plain English and may contain errors. I am
not a doctor
-----------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: You can make the print bigger with the font button
on your browser! (It's usually a big "A")

-----------------------------------------------------------

Growth Hormone for Severe, Unstable Heart Failure

August, 2006 - This trial included 6 patients with cardiac
cachexia (severe loss of weight, also called wasting) and
unstable decompensated CHF. Five of the CHFers were
dobutamine-dependent.
	Researchers studied use of recombinant
human growth hormone (GH) in these CHFers,
including whether it helped patients start taking standard
CHF meds.
	Patients got 8 IU of injected GH per day for
an average of 26 days. GH improved systolic blood
pressure (the first number) from 85 to 100 mmHg and EF
from an average of 23% to 28% right after treatment,
then to 38% later.
	Functional heart class improved from class 4
to class one in two patients, from class 4 to class 2 in
three patients, and from class 4 to class 3 in one patient.
	All patients were discharged from the hospital.
After GH treatment, it was possible to reach target Coreg
dose in 5 patients. All 6 patients were able to also raise
their ACE inhibitor dose by 300%.
	Three patients are alive after 67, 75, and 11
months of follow-up. The remaining 3 patients died, one
from a lung abscess at 9 months, one from blood
poisoning at 21 months, and one from worsening CHF
due to unplanned Coreg stoppage at 36 months.
	Researchers conclude that GH in such
CHFers stabilizes them without need for inotropic drugs.
This allows introduction of drugs that were not tolerated
before. This could be a new option for improving CHF
therapy in severe CHF patients, and even in dobutamine-
dependent CHFers.

Title:	Beneficial effects of high doses of growth
	hormone in the introduction and optimization
	of medical treatment in decompensated
	congestive heart failure.
Authors:	Edimar Bocchi, Lídia Mouraa, Guilherme
	Guimaraesa, Germano Emílio Conceicao
	Souzaa, Jose A.F. Ramiresa.
Source:	Int J Cardiol 2006;110:313-317.