Abstract
The myotropic effects of growth hormone (GH) have long been known. An excess of GH as in acromegaly, causes various problems within the circulatory system including cardiac hypertrophy. Although the latter has not been reported as a complication of GH therapy in children, we assessed this possibility in 54 children. Ninety-six echocardiographic studies were performed, in which bisectional images were analysed by Simpson's rule to determine left ventricular volume and mass. Of special interest were 47 results obtained from girls with Ullrich-Turner-syndrome (UTS) treated with supraphysiological doses of GH. Our results showed a significant increase of the myocardial mass in children on GH therapy compared with untreated children, as well as a dose related effect of GH on cardiac mass in girls and cardiac volume in boys. No cardiac hypertrophy, however, could be observed; the increase in muscular mass merely amounting to a normalization of previously low values.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- FSS :
-
familial short stature
- GH :
-
growth hormone
- IUGR (=SGA) :
-
intra-uterine growth retardation
- UTS :
-
Ullrich-Turner syndrome
References
Brook CG, Preece MA (1992) Growth hormone treatment in idiopathic short stature: preliminary analysis of cardiovascular effects. Acta Paediatr Scand 81 [Suppl 383]:35–38
Czerwinski SM, Novakofski I, Bechtel PJ (1993) Is Insulin-like-Growth-Factor gene expression modulated during cardiac hypertrophy? Med Sci Sports Exerc 25(4):495–500
Hradec J, Marek J, Kral J, Simper D, Spacil J (1992) Heart in pituitary disease. Cor Vasa 34(2):101–107
Hradec J, Marek J, Kral J, Janota T, Poloniecki J, Malik M (1993) Longterm echocardiographic follow-up of acromegalic heart disease. Am J Cardiol 72(2):205–210
Ito H, Hiroe M, Hirata Y, Tsujino M, Adachi S, Shichiri M, Koike A, Nogami A, Marurno F (1993) Insulin-like growth factor-I induces hypertrophy with enhanced expression of muscle specific genes in cultured rat cardiomyocytes. Circulation 87(5):1715–21
Morvan D, Komajda M, Grimaldi A, Turpin G, Grosgogeat Y (1991) Cardiac hypertrophy and function in asymptomatic acromegaly. Eur Heart J 12(6):666–672
Pelliccia A, Maron BJ, Spataro A, Proschan MA, Spirito P (1991) The upper limit of physiologic cardiac hypertrophy in highly trained elite athletes. N Engl J Med 324(5):295–301
Prader A, Largo RH, Molinaris L (1989) Physical growth in Swiss children from birth to 20 years of age. Helv Paediatr Acta [Suppl] 52
Rowland TW, Morris AH, Biggs DE, Reiter EO (1991) Cardiac effects of growth hormone treatment for short stature in children. J Paediar Endocrinol: 19–23
Smallright RC, Rajfer S, Davia J (1979) Acromegaly and the heart. An echocardiographic study. Am J Med 66:22–27
Van Teununbroek A, Cromme-Dijkhuis A, Muinck Keizer-Schrama S de, Stijnen T, Drop S (1993) Effect of growth hormone treatment on left ventricular cardiac dimensions in girls with Turner syndrome. ESPE/LWPES, San Francisco
Vogel M, Staller W, Bühlmeyer K (1991) Left ventricular mass determination by cross sectional echocardiography in normal newborns, infants and children. Pediatr Cardiol 12:143
Vogel M, Stern H, Bauer R, Bühlmeyer K (1992) Comparison of magnetic resonance imaging with cross sectional echocardiography in the assessment of left ventricular mass in children without heart disease and in aortic isthmic coarctation. Am J Cardiol 69:941–944
Zhu W (1991) Echocardiographic changes in 91 patients with acromegaly. Chung Hua I Hsueh Tsa Chih 71(9): 499
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Heuschmann, D., Butenandt, O. & Vogel, M. Left ventricular volume and mass in children on growth hormone therapy compared with untreated children. Eur J Pediatr 155, 77–80 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02075754
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02075754