Effects of Human Growth Hormone in Men over 60 Years Old

To the Editor: Rudman et al. (July 5 issue) 1 reported that recombinant growth hormone decreased adipose-tissue mass and increased lean body mass and lumbar vertebral bone density in healthy men from 61 to 81 years old who had low plasma concentrations of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). Their conclusion that diminished secretion of growth hormone was responsible in part for the changes in body composition in aging persons remains to be proved. Extrapolation of their results to normal aging should have been done more carefully. Their cohort consisted of older, apparently healthy men, whose age range spanned two decades and . . .