Beyond the androgen receptor: the role of growth hormone secretagogues in the modern management of body composition in hypogonadal males.
This narrative review examines the potential adjunctive role of growth hormone secretagogues (GHS) in managing body composition changes associated with male hypogonadism and metabolic syndrome. The authors acknowledge that while testosterone replacement therapy remains the standard of care for hypogonadism, its body composition benefits are inconsistent across patient populations. The review surveys existing literature on five GHS compounds — sermorelin, GHRP-2, GHRP-6, ibutamoren (MK-677), and ipamorelin — noting that all stimulate growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) secretion and may improve body composition metrics such as reducing fat mass and attenuating muscle atrophy. The authors also explore their potential utility in eugonadal males with metabolic syndrome or subclinical hypogonadism. A major limitation explicitly acknowledged by the authors is the scarcity of robust clinical trial data evaluating these compounds specifically in hypogonadal men. The review concludes that while GHS show theoretical and preliminary promise as complementary agents, the current evidence base is insufficient to draw firm clinical conclusions, and the authors call for future controlled investigations. No new primary data are presented.