The present invention provides methods and compositions for increasing the growth rates, alleviating the symptoms, or improving the metabolism of human patients having an endocrine disorder characterized by partial endogenous growth hormone activity or signaling. The invention provides a method comprising administering to a patient suffering from an endocrine disorder characterized by partial endogenous growth hormone activity or signaling an amount of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) effective to improve metabolism in the patient, where the patient receives IGF-1 in a single daily administration. The invention also provides a method comprising administering to a patient suffering from an endocrine disorder characterized by partial endogenous growth hormone activity or signaling an amount of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and an amount of growth hormone (GH) that in combination are effective to improve growth or metabolism in the patient, where the patient receives IGF-1 in a single daily administration and receives GH in a single daily administration, and where the single IGF-1 administration and the single GH administration are administered to the patient substantially contemporaneously each day.
