The effects of growth hormone deficiency and replacement on glucocorticoid exposure in hypopituitary patients on cortisone acetate and hydrocortisone replacement.

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial looks at Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) and ACTH (Corticotropin).

Who Took Part

The study group was 10 adults.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults, middle-aged adults and older adults, both men and women.

The researchers recruited 10 hypopituitary adults all on established glucocorticoid replacement therapy, but who were not receiving GH.

Serial serum cortisol assessments and urine steroid profiles were performed on each treatment.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized and crossover study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Each person switched between Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) and the comparison at some point, usually with a gap in between.

The researchers have taken the ratio of 11-hydroxy/11-oxo cortisol metabolites (Fm/Em), an established measure of net 11 beta HSD activity to reflect the likely balance of cortisol to cortisone exposure in tissues expressing 11 beta HSD1, principally the liver and adipose tissue.

Fm/Em was also measured in a control population (20F, 20M).

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including 11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1, Adipose Tissue, Adrenocorticotropic Hormone, Cortisone, Glucocorticoids, Human Growth Hormone and Hydrocortisone.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and crossover study of Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) and ACTH (Corticotropin) in 10 adults.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 8 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2003 (Clinical endocrinology), a journal based in England.

More context: the Exogenous HGH, sermorelin & older GHRPs (why they're passed over) compound page and the ACTH (Corticotropin) compound page, all human trials.