Is Growth Hormone Insufficiency the Missing Link Between Obesity, Male Gender, Age, and COVID-19 Severity?
Obesity (Silver Spring)
; 28(11): 2038-2039, 2020 11.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-720340
ABSTRACT
Evidence has emerged regarding an increased risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) with worse prognosis in elderly male patients with obesity, and blunted growth hormone (GH) secretion represents a feature of this population subgroup. Here, a comprehensive review of the possible links between GH-insulinlike growth factor 1 axis impairment and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity is offered. First, unequivocal evidence suggests that immune system dysregulation represents a key element in determining SARS-CoV-2 severity, as well as the association with adult-onset GH deficiency (GHD); notably, if GH is physiologically involved in the development and maintenance of the immune system, its pharmacological replacement in GHD patients seems to positively influence their inflammatory status. In addition, the impaired fibrinolysis associated with GHD may represent a further link between GH-insulin-like growth factor 1 axis impairment and COVID-19 severity, as it has been associated with both conditions. In conclusion, several sources of evidence have supported a relationship between GHD and COVID-19, and they also shed light upon potential beneficial effects of recombinant GH treatment on COVID-19 patients.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pneumonia, Viral
/
Coronavirus Infections
/
Human Growth Hormone
/
Betacoronavirus
/
Obesity
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Limits:
Aged
/
Humans
/
Male
Language:
English
Journal:
Obesity (Silver Spring)
Journal subject:
Nutritional Sciences
/
Physiology
/
Metabolism
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Oby.23000
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