Human Growth Hormone Danger

Human Growth Hormone (HGH) has become a popular anti-aging treatment. Although the use of hormones in the treatment of various conditions is not new, it seems to always be shrouded in controversy. Human Growth Hormone Therapy is no different and the question of its safety in long term use is still up in the air.

Human growth hormone is a protein naturally produced by the pituitary gland. Also known as Somatotropin, human growth hormone is a protein made up of a chain of 191 amino acids. It is the most abundant hormone produced by the pituitary gland, located at the base of the human brain. Human growth hormone helps the body synthesize simple substances into the complex material of living tissue.

Studies performed by the National Institute of Aging showed that people who received human growth hormone lost fat and developed several pounds of extra muscle. Study participants reported a decrease in pain, increase in flexibility, and an overall improvement in their sense of well-being.

Additionally, people receiving human growth hormone demonstrated an improvement in the immune system, increased stamina, balanced cholesterol and an increase in bone density. While all of this sounds promising, there is a downside to human growth hormone therapy.

To begin with, human growth hormone therapy is intended to be a lifetime treatment. Human growth hormone is administered by injection under the supervision of a licensed healthcare practitioner. Generally, human growth hormone therapy is not covered by insurance and the costs are approximately $6,000 per year. Additionally, considerable follow-up testing is required.

Some physicians claim that human growth hormone can cause tumor growth, although this has never been documented in scientific research. There is a potential danger in that human growth hormone has been shown to cause fluid retention, which could be a problem for heart patients.

Human growth hormone has been reported to cause joint pain and carpal tunnel syndrome in some individuals. Additionally, there could be a problem in the use of human growth hormone in individuals with diabetes, since sugar metabolism is affected. Other physicians state that without careful monitoring, human growth hormone can cause excessive bone growth, vocal cord thickening, and arthritis.

Human growth hormone is not a substance that an individual should consider taking without the advice and guidance of a knowledgeable healthcare practitioner. Human growth hormone therapy may increase the quality of your life, but there is no evidence that it will make you live longer. As with any drug therapy, you should be carefully monitored and report any side effects to your healthcare provider immediately.

There seems to be little dispute about the short terms benefits of human growth hormone therapy, but the bottom line is no one yet knows the long term effects of human growth hormone therapy as an anti-aging solution.