clinical studies have focused the effects of GH on left ventricular function and hemodynamics. Little is known about the impact of GH on cardiopulmonary performance and exercise capacity. Such data would be relevant, given the well-recognized importance of cardiopulmonary performance and exercise capacity as markers of disease progression and predictors of mortality in patients with CHF.Consequently we conducted a randomised double blind placebo controlled trial to investigate the effects of a three month course of GH, adjunctive to background therapy, on cardiopulmonary performance and exercise capacity in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy and CHF.The primary outcome of the study was improvement of peak VO2 assessed by a cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Secondary endpoints were exercise capacity and ejection fraction obtained by echocardiography.