Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency and Cardiovascular Risk
Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency and Cardiovascular Risk
This protocol will assess the cardiovascular risk associated with growth hormone deficiency
 in adults. We will use multiple modalities to assess risk for heart attacks or strokes
 including blood work, ultrasound, MRI and endothelial cell biopsies in both patients who are
 growth hormone deficient and in patients with normal growth hormone secretion. We hypothesize
 that adults with growth hormone deficiency will have results suggestive of an increased risk
 for cardiovascular disease.
Subjects will first be tested for possible growth hormone deficiency. This will be done by
 administering two intravenous medications that should stimulate growth hormone secretion and
 we will measure growth hormone in the blood every 30 minutes following the administration.
 Once we have the results on enough subjects we will split the cohort into those subjects who
 are growth hormone deficient and those who have normal growth hormone. The two groups will
 each undergo various tests all designed to assess some component of cardiovascular risk.
 Ultimately we will compare the results of each test to see if those who are growth hormone
 deficient have an increased risk for cardiovascular disease.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Adults 19 years or older who have undergone transsphenoidal surgery for a clinically
 non-secreting pituitary adenoma

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Currently taking growth hormone, radiation therapy in the past 5 years, changes in
 dose of other pituitary hormone replacement therapy in past 3 months, taking
 hydrocortisone (or its equivalent) at a dose of > 30 mg/day, pregnant or nursing women