Relationship of peak growth hormone to cardiovascular parameters, waist circumference, lipids and glucose in HIV-infected patients and healthy adults.

Objective: Relative growth hormone (GH) deficiency is highly prevalent in patients with HIV. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships of GH to metabolic and anthropometric parameters in HIV patients and non-HIV controls.

Design: Peak GH and metabolic parameters were assessed in a cross-sectional study of 191 HIV patients and 62 age and BMI-matched healthy controls.

Methods: Peak GH was assessed by GHRH/arginine stimulation testing.

Results: HIV patients demonstrated similar BMI, but increased waist circumference (WC) and reduced peak GH to GHRH/arginine compared with control subjects [median = 12.4 (interquartile range: 6.3-24.8) vs. 21.3 (8.8, 34.5) μg/l, P = 0.006, HIV vs. control]. Among HIV and non-HIV groups, peak GH was inversely associated with WC (rho = -0.44, P < 0.0001; rho = -0.63, P < 0.0001; HIV patients and controls, respectively), blood pressure (rho = -0.17, P = 0.02; rho = -0.36, P = 0.004), triglycerides (rho = -0.37, P < 0.0001; rho = -0.43, P = 0.001), glucose (rho = -0.34, P < 0.0001; rho = -0.30, P = 0.02), insulin (rho = -0.43, P < 0.0001; rho = -0.60, P < 0.0001) and CRP (rho= -0.29, P < 0.0001; rho = -0.59, P < 0.0001). Among HIV patients, the inverse association between peak GH and fasting glucose remained significant (β = -0.006 mmol/l change in glucose per μg/l change in GH, P = 0.004) controlling for age, gender, race, BMI, WC, protease inhibitor (PI) and nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Similarly, the inverse association between peak GH and triglycerides remained significant (β = -0.01 mmol/l change in triglycerides per μg/l change in GH, P = 0.02) controlling for age, gender, race, BMI, WC, PI and lipid-lowering medications. HIV men with peak GH < 7.5 μg/l demonstrated higher BMI, WC, SBP, triglycerides, glucose and CRP.

Conclusions: Reduced GH secretion is independently associated with dyslipidaemia and higher glucose, among HIV patients with abdominal fat accumulation.