Researchers studying the aging process have discovered that taking a new drug designed to stimulate human growth hormone can help people maintain their independence while aging without becoming frail.
A group of researchers, led by Dr. George Merriam of the University of Washington, tested the experimental drug capromorelin on 395 men and women between the ages of 65 and 84. All of the subjects were frail in some way, either having difficulty walking or having lost the strength of their grip.
Capromorelin, produced by Pfizer, stimulates the body to create human growth hormones similar to those produced by healthy teens. The level of the hormones is seriously reduced in humans as they age. When we are young adults, human growth hormones promote the production of lean, muscle mass.
Within six months of receiving the experimental drug, more patients were able to walk a straight line, a strong test of increased coordination. They also gained an average of three pounds.
After one year of taking the capromorelin, they showed improvement in climbing stairs.
'Drugs in this category have the promise of improving physical function … thereby prolonging older people's ability to continue to live independently,' Merriam told reporters at a meeting of the International Congress of Neuroendocrinology.
Despite the drug's positive testing results, Dr. Merriam warned that it would not be easy to receive approval from the Food and Drug Administration 'because the FDA does not consider aging to be a disease and sets the bar extremely high.'
A separate study conducted by researchers in Poland suggested that there was something in the blood of older women that may help scientists improve the health of aging people.
Researchers examined the blood of 133 Polish women including 25 between the ages of 100 and 102. They discovered that the older women had measurably higher levels of the protein adiponectin in their blood.
'We found that our centenarian women were healthier than other elderly women,' explained Dr. Agnieszka Baranowska-Bik, the leader of the Polish study.
At this point, researchers were uncertain if the higher levels of adiponectin was the cause or effect of their improved health. Adiponectin plays a role in reducing inflammation and keeps fatty deposits from building up in veins and arteries.
Additional research on aging is expected in the near future as scientists look to improve life for the millions of baby boomers who are now on the cusp of becoming senior citizens.
