A controlled study on serum insulin-like growth factor-I and urinary excretion of growth hormone in fibromyalgia.

OBJECTIVE

It has been hypothesized that secretory deficiencies of growth hormone may play a pathophysiological role in fibromyalgia (FM). Our objective was thus to evaluate the secretion of growth hormone in FM.

METHODS

The 24-h urinary growth hormone excretion and serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) was measured in 17 middle aged women with FM and 19 healthy women. The degree of subjective sleep disturbance was also determined.

RESULTS

Sleep was significantly more disturbed in the patients than the controls. We found no significant differences in the urinary excretion of growth hormone and serum levels of IGF-I between patients with FM and healthy controls.

CONCLUSION

Major secretory deficiencies were not documented. However, the power of our study does not allow us to discard the role of minor secretory deficiencies of human growth hormone in FM.