Successful Treatment of "Buffalo Hump" with Growth Hormone

A poster at the 12th World AIDS Conference reported successful treatment of body fat redistribution in five patients1. All showed improvement, from 25% to total resolution, usually with just a few weeks or months of the treatment; there was also improvement in truncal obesity in at least four of the patients. However, the patients' elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels did not improve significantly. And there were suspected side effects of the therapy, including hyperglycemia in two cases, elevation of pancreatic enzymes in one, and carpal tunnel syndrome which led to discontinuation of treatment in another.

The dose used was 5 to 6 mg per day of Serostim™, injected subcutaneously.

This report was not from a study, but from experience in two physicians' practices. The treatment was given primarily for wasting, in the arms and legs--especially for the earliest patients, since it was not known that growth hormone would help correct the abnormal body fat redistribution.

Recently we have heard anecdotally of similar cases of successful treatment of lipid redistribution with human growth hormone. This presentation in Geneva may be the first public report of successful treatment, other than surgery, for the body shape changes which seem to be associated with protease inhibitor treatment in some patients.


References

1. Torres, RA and Unger KW. Treatment of dorsocervical fat pads (buffalo hump) and truncal obesity with Serostim™ (recombinant human growth hormone) in patients with AIDS maintained on HAART. 12th World AIDS Conference, Geneva, June 28 - July 3, 1998 [abstract # 32164]. Note: An updated and extended abstract was distributed at the conference, and is the one reviewed above.