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Article: Growth hormone: no elixir for old age? (research indicates that human growth hormone does not increase strength or endurance in elderly men despite improved muscle-to-fat ratio)(Biomedicine)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- May 11, 1996
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Human growth hormone may be losing its allure as an antiaging drug.
In 1990, a team of researchers reported that a synthetic version of the hormone reversed some age-associated changes in body composition (SN: 7/14/90, p. 23). As part of the normal aging process, fat replaces lean body mass, including muscle. The researchers theorized that as people age, their secretion of growth hormone plummets, leaving them flabby and frail. In their study, elderly men who received treatment suddenly appeared more youthful and leaner.
But could growth hormone therapy actually boost the strength of an elderly person?
Maxine A. Papadakis of the Department of Veteran ...