Evaluation of twenty-four-hour secretory patterns of growth hormone and insulin in patients with myotonic dystrophy.
Twenty-four-hour secretory patterns of GH and insulin were evaluated in seven patients with myotonic dystrophy. We found an impairment of sleep-related GH secretion and an increase of nocturnal serum insulin levels. There was no correlation between hormonal behavior and severity of disease. It is possible that the observed hormonal dysfunction is related to a multisystem disorder in myotonic dystrophy.