The first edition of Growth Hormone in Adults was issued in 1996 to provide a critical and independent update about the effects of growth hormone (GH) in adults with special emphasis on GH substitution in hypopituitary patients. The book was well received, which has encouraged the editors to proceed with this second edition. The major justification, however, for a new edition has been the rapid development and publication of research within the field. This includes basic knowledge about the regulation of GH secretion and action, as well as clinical data about the diagnosis and treatment of the adult GH-deficient patient. The general scope and structure of the book has been maintained, but close attention has been paid to updated and current references, and all chapters have been extensively revised. Recent knowledge about distinct gender-specific differences in the responsiveness to GH has mandated an independent coverage in the book. Two chapters devoted to the fascinating area of GH secretagogues (GHS), including the recent cloning of the GHS receptor, are major new contributions from front-line researchers.

We wish to express our appreciation to each of the contributors to both the previous and present editions of Growth Hormone in Adults. Space constraints only allow representation of a small proportion of research groups, but a strong effort has been made to provide up-to-date and balanced inputs from ‘cutting edge’ scientists from around the world.

Finally, we would like to say a word of thanks to the people from Cambridge University Press, in particular Peter Silver. Their support and efforts in bringing this project together has been of great importance.