Serum Growth Hormone Patterns in Female Juvenile Diabetics

Higher than normal concentrations of serum growth hormone have previously been demonstrated in male juvenile diabetics in various circumstances. To study the growth hormone patterns of female diabetics 2 test situations were employed, exercise tests with a fixed work load of 450 kg/min for 20 min and daily life studies with half-hourly blood sampling from 8 am to 6:30 pm. Twenty young non-obese women with juvenile diabetes and 24 young non-obese control females were studied. Normally menstruating women as well as women taking oral contraceptives were included. The serum growth hormone level during the daytime was 3-4 times higher and more fluctuating and the exercise response occurred earlier and was higher in the diabetics than in the controls. The serum growth hormone level during the daytime and the response to exercise were identical in normally menstruating women and women taking oral contraceptives, in control subjects as well as diabetics. Comparing these results with results obtained in males in similar test situations it was found that the levels and responses of growth hormone were higher in normal women than in normal men. It is concluded that young adult juvenile diabetics—men as well as women—are exposed throughout their daily life to elevated and rapidly changing levels of growth hormone.