Altered growth hormone (GH) secretion in women gaining weight during hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

Objectives: The relationship between GH response to GHRH-stimulation and changes in body weight in pre- and postmenopausal women before as well as after 4 and 20-22 weeks of oral HRT was tested. Methods: 18 postmenopausal women (FSH > 30 mU/ml) were compared to 18 premenopausal women suffering from post-pill amenorrhoea (FSH < 10 mU/ml). Both patient-groups reported an anamnestic increase in body weight during former use of sex hormones. Tn addition 18 postmenopausal women without anamnestic weight change were studied. Results: A significant reduction in GH response to GHRH stimulation was observed during the first month of HRT in both groups gaining weight. However, the body mass index of the patients reverted to pretherapeutic levels after 5 months of HRT. In all patients, a small but statistically significant increase in IGF-1 levels was registered during HRT. These changes in GH stimulation testing and IGF-1 levels were accompanied by distinct changes in body weight. No alterations in GHRH response were observed in those patients whose body weight did not increase. Conclusions: Our results confirm that in predisposed women, HRT is associated with increments in body weight as well as with changes in the GH-IGF-1 axis.