Adult growth hormone deficiency is classified as an endocrine issue.
It’s not unusual to find bodybuilders and athletes injecting doses of synthetic growth hormone for physical enhancement.
But doing so when the body produces adequate amounts already can produce some unexpected side effects and for some, adverse reactions.
Are you thinking of resorting to growth hormone substances combined with anabolic androgenic steroids to promote growth and development of lean muscle mass?
Be aware of what growth hormone is and why it’s recommended for those with an adult growth hormone deficiency, as well as the potential risks involved. Buy HGH-X2 online here.
Table of Contents
Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency
In the United States, approximately 6,000 adults are diagnosed with growth hormone deficiencies annually. [1]
Out of those individuals, approximately 18% were diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency during childhood.
Another common cause of an adult growth hormone deficiency is some damage or injury to the pituitary gland or other type of brain trauma. [2]
The Pituitary Gland & Growth Hormone
The pituitary gland produces a number of hormones, in addition to its responsibility as the “master” gland of the body. The pituitary gland is a very small gland about the size of a raisin located in the brain.
When it receives an order from the hypothalamus – also in the brain and often called the body’s ‘thermostat’ – to either increase or decrease hormone production from a gland in the body, the pituitary kicks into action.
The pituitary gland is responsible for the production and secretion of growth hormone (GH). Growth hormone triggers growth of long bones as well as a number of organs during childhood and adolescence.
In an adult, growth hormone improves muscle growth and tone. It also has an influence on a number of other body functions including metabolism and digestion.
Growth hormone has an influence on sugar levels in the body, as well as the function of insulin. One powerful effect that may not be noticed is a negative influence on insulin levels.
In some cases, this negative impact can trigger insulin resistance and development of diabetes mellitus.
Growth hormone has an influence on dozens of activities in the body, including brain function.
When the pituitary fails to produce adequate levels of growth hormone for optimal health and wellness, a physician may suggest that an individual undergo growth hormone replacement therapy.
Signs & Symptoms Of Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency
An individual experiencing a deficiency of growth hormone (adult) may notice a number of signs and symptoms.
Not everyone will experience the same or regarding to its severity.
A number of factors can influence not only side effects, but the effect of exogenous (any form) growth hormone has on the body in regard to benefits. A few of those include:
- Age
- Body composition (height versus weight)
- Metabolism
- Diet, exercise, and lifestyle
- Current health status
The most prevalent indications of an adult growth hormone deficiency include:
- A decrease in muscle mass
- Reduced stamina in regard to exercise
- Increase in visceral or belly fat
- Often drastic changes in lipid levels (cholesterol)
Female hormone deficiency symptoms (low estrogen) include hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disturbances, water retention, breast swelling, fatigue, depression, among others.
Growth hormone deficiency symptoms in children may include tiredness or a lack of motivation.
Diagnosis
If you are living with growth hormone deficiency, you will want to talk to your doctor about it.
In order to diagnose a true deficiency, a number of diagnostic tests, including blood tests, will be indicated.
If left untreated, an adult growth hormone deficiency can interfere with long-term health and wellness.
This also means increased risk of fractures, cardiovascular damage, and muscle loss.
In many cases, adult growth hormone deficiencies are a part of aging, caused by the decline in production of growth hormone as well as other hormones in the body, including testosterone.
Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency Treatment
Growth hormone deficiency in adults guidelines suggest treatment with injections of synthetic growth hormone. Growth hormone manufactured by the body is called somatotropin.
Synthetic growth hormone developed in a lab is called somatropin. Somatropin is also a generic term for dozens of brand-name manufacturers of growth hormone around the world.
Some of the most common brands include:
- Genotropin
- Norditropin
- Saizen
- Nutropin
- Humatrope
Each of these growth hormone products (somatropin) are carefully dosed and monitored by a physician to reduce the risk of side effects.
Legal Status of Growth Hormone
In the United States and some countries around the world, growth hormone is not listed as a controlled substance, although it is a prescription-only drug.
Note: Women considering use of growth hormone should know that risks of use during pregnancy have not yet been determined.
Use of growth hormone at this time may contribute to fetal developmental growth abnormalities. Its presence in breast milk may also trigger issues.
Taking growth hormone when the body doesn’t need it can interfere with and disrupt overall body functions. Some side effects are mild, but others can be life-threatening and reduce life expectancy.
Before considering use of growth hormone to increase muscle mass or athletic performance enhancement, extreme caution is advised.
Growth hormone, whether generic or brand name, is intended for use only on an individual diagnosed with an adult growth hormone deficiency.
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- Mary L. Reed, George R. Merriam, Atil Y. Kargi. Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency – Benefits, Side Effects, and Risks of Growth Hormone Replacement. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2013; 4: 64. Prepublished online 2013 Apr 23. Published online 2013 Jun 4. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2013.00064
- Ibid.
- Jenkins PJ. Growth hormone and exercise. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1999 Jun;50(6):683-9. Review.
- Rickenlund A, Thorén M, Nybacka A, Frystyk J, Hirschberg AL. Effects of oral contraceptives on diurnal profiles of insulin, insulin-like growth factor binding protein-1, growth hormone and cortisol in endurance athletes with menstrual disturbance. Hum Reprod. 2010 Jan;25(1):85-93. doi: 10.1093/humrep/dep350.
- Kniess A, Ziegler E, Thieme D, Müller RK. Intra-individual variation of GH-dependent markers in athletes: comparison of population based and individual thresholds for detection of GH abuse in sports. J Pharm Biomed Anal. 2013 Oct;84:201-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jpba.2013.06.008.
- Bidlingmaier M, Suhr J, Ernst A, Wu Z, Keller A, Strasburger CJ, Bergmann A. High-sensitivity chemiluminescence immunoassays for detection of growth hormone doping in sports. Clin Chem. 2009 Mar;55(3):445-53. doi: 10.1373/clinchem.2008.112458.
- Stacy JJ, Terrell TR, Armsey TD. Ergogenic aids: human growth hormone. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2004 Aug;3(4):229-33. Review.
- Cox HD, Rampton J, Eichner D. Quantification of insulin-like growth factor-1 in dried blood spots for detection of growth hormone abuse in sport. Anal Bioanal Chem. 2013 Feb;405(6):1949-58. doi: 10.1007/s00216-012-6626-y.
- Kamenicky P, Lombès M, Chanson P. [New insights in growth hormone physiology and pathophysiology]. Ann Endocrinol (Paris). 2010 Sep;71 Suppl 1:S25-32. doi: 10.1016/S0003-4266(10)70004-4. Review. French.
- Widdowson WM, Healy ML, Sönksen PH, Gibney J. The physiology of growth hormone and sport. Growth Horm IGF Res. 2009 Aug;19(4):308-19. doi: 10.1016/j.ghir.2009.04.023. Review.
- Stout JR. Amino acids and growth hormone manipulation. Nutrition. 2002 Jul-Aug;18(7-8):683-4. No abstract available.
- Nelson AE, Ho KK. Abuse of growth hormone by athletes. Nat Clin Pract Endocrinol Metab. 2007 Mar;3(3):198-9. No abstract available.