Aging
Conditions
Brief summary
The aim of this study is to evaluate the growth hormone (GH) and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) secretion in elderly without hypothalamic-pituitary disease using the glucagon stimulation test (using Glucagen® Hypokit, Novo Nordisk A/S, Denmark) and evaluate some parameters such as sarcopenia, nutritional state, bone mineral density, frailty criteria with secretion of GH.
Detailed description
subjects over 65 years old were recruited from the geriatric ambulatory unit of our hospital to voluntarily participate in a research study concerning the GH and ACTH axis in the elderly, which included the realization of the glucagon stimulation test as the first phase of the study. The GST (Glucagen® Hypokit, Novo Nordisk A/S, Denmark) was the chosen test to assess both ACTH and GH release because of its few known contraindications and mild side effects. It is a provocative test to evaluate GH and ACTH axis, i.e, a diagnostic test, without therapeutic effects.
Interventions
OTHERgrowth hormone secretion
The glucagon stimulation test (GST) was performed by intramuscular injection of 1 mg of glucagon (Glucagen® Hypokit, Novo Nordisk A/S, Denmark). The blood samples were collected at baseline and after 90 minutes, 120 minutes, 150 minutes and 180 minutes of glucagon injection for GH and cortisol measurements. The subjects were recumbent during the test, and a cannula was maintained in a vein in the arm or forearm with a saline solution slowly infused to avoid multiple punctures.
Sponsors
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
65 Years to 95 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* elderly people above 65 years old with comorbidities peculiar to their age (such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, parkinson disease) or without comorbidities
Exclusion criteria
* pituitary disease, severe acute disease, terminal renal chronic disease, active malignant cancer, the presence of any other disease that could interfere with the somatotrophic axis evaluation, and the contraindications for glucagon administration (pheochromocytoma, insulinoma and malnourishment).
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Growth Hormone Secretion in the elderly people using glucagon stimulation test (GST) | up to one week |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ACTH release in the elderly people using GST | up to one week | ACTH: adrenocorticotrophic hormone |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Body composition in the elderly people according with GH secretion | up to 3 months | To realize Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) to evaluate body composition after the realization of the Glucagon stimulation test. It could take some time to be done because of availability of the equipment |
Outcome results
None listed