THE EFFECT OF GROWTH HORMONE ON IDIOPATHIC DILATED CARDIOMYOPATHY

Objective- Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) is currently an important cause ‎of mortality and morbidity due to chronic heart failure. The aim of our study was to ‎assess whether there could be any clinical and /or echocardiographic improvement in ‎patients with IDCM who had undergone treatment of recombinant human growth ‎hormone (GH).‎ ‎
‎ ‎. Methods- Fourteen patients with IDCM and moderate heart failure (e.g. New York ‎Heart‏ ‏Association functional class II-III) were studied at base line, immediately and ‎‎3-months after treatment with GH. The study was a double-blind clinical trial. ‎Traditional treatment (e.g. digoxin, ACEI, B-blocker and diuretics) was continued ‎during the study. Cardiac performance was evaluated with clinical and ‎echocardiographic examinations.
‎ ‎ Results- In spite of statistical improvements in the left ventricular ejection fraction ‎‎(LVEF)(mean ±SD from 35.6±5.9% at the base line of this study to 39.6%f6.7% ‎immediately and 39.3%f7.9% three months after treatment, p value <0.05), other data ‎of the clinical and echocardiographic findings were not significantly different between ‎base line and post-treatment‏.‏‎
‎ Conclusion- We conclude that 3-months of GH therapy in patients with idiop thic ‎dilated cardiomyopathy had little beneficial effects on cardiac mass and performance ‎‎(Iranian Heart Journal 2003; 4 (4):68-71‎‏(.‏