Growth hormone therapy for adult growth hormone deficiency.

GH deficiency in adult life is associated with a number of adverse biological changes including osteopenia, reduced exercise capacity, altered body composition, deleterious alterations in the lipid profile and insulin status, and reduced quality of life. Potentially, most of these changes can be reversed by GH replacement therapy. In an era of health rationing, however, GH replacement is unlikely to be offered to every GH-deficient adult. Therefore, we have proposed a strategy aimed at delineating which adults with GH deficiency might benefit most from GH therapy.