Growth hormone
decreases as we age and many age-related changes such as muscle mass
reduction, loss of strength and exercise capacity look similar to
symptoms seen in GH deficiency. The researchers wanted to see if
increasing the GH would improve an elderly person’s physical abilities.
The study included
395 men and women that were 65 to 84 years of age. They all experienced
mild restrictions in physical abilities. The researchers gave either a
placebo or various amounts of an oral dose of growth hormone stimulator
(GHS) called capromorelin, which is a trial medication being developed
by Pfizer Global Research and Development.
The group that had
the GHS medication, at any amount, responded by having the GH levels
acutely peak and also there was an increase of GH secretion overnight.
The increases were maintained throughout the 12 month treatment time.
The participants that had the GHS treatment improved on muscle mass on
average of 1.4 Kg and they also improved on their ability to walk and
climb stairs. Walking improvements were seen at 6 months and the stair
climbing improved at 12 months.
Another study by
Agnieszka Baranowska-Bik, M.D., and colleagues from the Medical Centre
of Postgraduate Education, Warsaw, Poland, studied 133 women ranging in
age from 20 up to 102 years old and found that a small protein that
comes from fat tissue may be a factor in having a long life.
In this study,
there were 25 of these women that were age 100 to 102 years old. The
researchers found that these centenarian women had higher levels of
adiponectin in the blood. Adiponectin which is a peptide is known for
its anti-inflammatory properties. It helps to keep the blood vessels
free of fatty build up also plays a role in the metabolism of lipids and
glucose. If a person does not have enough adiponectin it could
contribute to obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, and fatty artery
plaque buildup. These groups of conditions are called the metabolic
syndrome.
The researchers
divided the women by age range and weight into four groups. There were
25 centenarians, 26 women ages 64 to 67, 45 women between ages 20 to 43,
and 37 women that were obese that were ages 26 to 54.
The centenarians
group had significantly higher amounts of adiponectin. They also had
much lower levels of leptin and insulin in their blood. These women
also did better when measuring their insulin resistance and their total
cholesterol. These women had fewer signs of hypertension and metabolic
syndrome compared to the obese group. Adiponectin may help in the
contribution of a long life but Dr. Barnowska-Bik does not call it the
fountain of youth.
Nicole Wilson
Best Syndication
Books on Slowing down Aging
Keywords and misspellings: deit pills hoodia rimonabant
rinomabant rinonant rinomabent wieght watchers
