Growth Hormone for Heart Failure — Cause for Cautious Optimism

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Abstract
Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy is characterized by left ventricular dilatation, insufficient compensatory hypertrophy of the left ventricle, interstitial fibrosis in the myocardium, and increased stress on the wall of the left ventricle. In this disorder, a fundamental abnormality of the contractile function of the heart leads to progressive ventricular remodeling and symptomatic heart failure. Most therapies are directed at unloading the left ventricle with the use of agents that reduce afterload (i.e., angiotensin-converting–enzyme inhibitors) and that decrease chamber size by reducing volume overload (i.e., diuretics). These approaches do not specifically improve the underlying contractile dysfunction of the myocytes. An alternative therapeutic . . .