Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) syndrome in adults and the resulting increased cardiovascular risk have been extensively studied in recent years. To evaluate body composition abnormalities and insulin resistance in GHD adults, we studied 27 patients using abdominal CT, considering glucose and insulin responses during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and the Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA). The group of patients was compared to a control group of 27 healthy individuals matched by age, gender and body mass index. GHD patients showed increase in the amount of visceral adipose tissue (p= 0.008). The frequency of abnormalities indicated by OGTT was similar to that found within the control group. Fasting and after-oral glucose load plasma glucose and insulin levels were similar to those identified within the control group (p>0.05). The areas under the glucose and insulin curves were also similar (p>0.05) and there were no differences in the insulin sensitivity measured by HOMA (p= 0.989). There was a strong positive correlation between increased visceral adipose tissue with after-oral glucose load plasma glucose (r= 0.58; p= 0.001) and insulin (r= 0.72; p= 0.001) levels and the areas under the glucose (r= 0.40; p= 0.040) and insulin (r= 0.71; p= 0.001) curves on the patient group, but not within the control group (r< 0.40; p>0.05). In conclusion, it was not observed any significant difference in glucose metabolism, despite the increased amount of visceral fat found in GHD patients.
GH deficiency; Adults; Insulin resistance; Adipose visceral tissue
