What the research examined
A randomized trial in healthy older adults examined an oral growth-hormone secretagogue, MK-677. The investigators observed changes in fat-free mass without a corresponding demonstrated improvement in strength or physical function.
How to interpret the findings
A body-composition measurement is not a substitute for an outcome people can feel or perform. The trial's population and size limit generalization, and an endocrine or lean-mass response cannot establish long-term clinical benefit.
Research literature
- Effects of an oral ghrelin mimetic on body composition and clinical outcomes in healthy older adults: a randomized trial.
Annals of internal medicine · 2008 · PMID 18981485
Links open the indexed paper records. Summaries are based on those records and their available abstracts, not a systematic review or a full-text appraisal of every study.