Coronary risk in growth hormone deficient hypopituitary adults: increased predicted risk is due largely to lipid profile abnormalities

Abstract

Changes in lipid levels help to explain the results from risk factor modelling which show increased coronary risk in growth hormone deficient hypopituitary patients, particularly females. The abnormal lipid profile is characterized in both genders by an increase in the total to HDL ratio [corrected], an important parameter in the Framingham equation. The lipid abnormalities conferring increased risk is related to growth hormone deficiency either directly (LDL) or indirectly through increased central obesity (HDL) [corrected]. Adverse calculated coronary risk might provide a new objective indication for consideration of GH replacement therapy in adults.