Human Growth Hormone Replacement Therapy

Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is a protein made up of a chain of 191 amino acids. Chemically, human growth hormone is known as Somatropin. Human growth hormone is the most abundant hormone produced by the pituitary gland; located at the base of the brain. At first human growth hormone could only be extracted from dead cadavers. However, human growth hormone is now available in other forms due to advances in genetic engineering.

Injectable human growth hormone is the most effective hormone replacement therapy. Also known as Real Recombinant Human Growth Hormone, or rHGH, injectable human growth hormone is dispensed only by prescription and is administered by subcutaneous or intramuscular injection.

Human growth hormone replacement therapy was first used to increase the height of abnormally small children. Humatrope, created by Eli Lilly, is an FDA approved human growth hormone replacement therapy that is widely accepted as a beneficial treatment for children with stunted growth.

Besides using HGH to treat Human Growth Hormone Deficiency, injectable human growth hormone has only been approved for a small number of circumstances. Medically-approved uses of human growth hormone replacement therapy include:

Turner's Syndrome is a genetic chromosomal condition that exclusively affects girls and women. Symptoms include short stature, swelling of the hands and feet, low hairline, low set ears and lack of ovarian development. Human growth hormone replacement therapy is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Turner syndrome and is covered by many insurance plans.

Chronic renal insufficiency is a slow progressive loss of renal function that may occur over a period of months or even years. Patients of chronic renal insufficiency may only be able to recover through a kidney transplant; as the condition is considered to be irreversible. The beneficial effects of human growth hormone replacement therapy in growth hormone deficient adult patients have been addressed in many studies. Results show many benefits including improved quality of life, cardiac performance and balance cholesterol. Elderly patients with end stage renal disease also may benefit from human growth hormone replacement therapy.

Intrauterine growth retardation is a condition that occurs during pregnancy in which a fetus fails to grow inside the womb before it is ever born. This may be determined either from viewing an ultrasound or from measuring the mother's abdomen at various points during the pregnancy. If intrauterine growth retardation is suspected, the mother will undergo a series of tests to determine the best treatment plan and may include the use of human growth hormone replacement therapy.

Prader-Willi Syndrome is a complex genetic disorder that includes short stature, mental retardation or learning disabilities, incomplete sexual development, behavior problems, low muscle tone, and an involuntary urge to eat constantly. It is common for patients with this syndrome to also have short stature and hypothyroidism. Studies are currently being conducted on the effects of long-term human growth hormone replacement therapy to treat Prader-Willi Syndrome.

It is estimated that about 75,000 out of 265 million Americans currently have a true growth hormone deficiency indicating the need for human growth hormone replacement therapy. Human growth hormone replacement therapy is indicated for children and adults with scientifically proven growth hormone deficiency whose bodies produce insufficient or ineffective levels of the hormone.