If you're willing to pay thousands, some doctors promise to reverse the signs of aging with human growth hormone (HGH). Before you sign up, get the facts.
Your body naturally makes growth hormone to help fuel growth during your childhood and to help maintain your tissues and organs throughout your life. Beginning in your 40s, your pituitary gland — the pea-sized structure at the base of your brain where growth hormone is made — slowly reduces the amount of the hormone it produces.
Some people believe the dwindling level of growth hormone is responsible for the frailty that typically comes with getting older. And that's prompted some who are concerned about growing old and losing independence to turn to injections of synthetic human growth hormone (HGH) to stave off the realities of old age. But there's little evidence to suggest human growth hormone is the Fountain of Youth.
Who needs to take human growth hormone?
Synthetic human growth hormone is available only by prescription and is administered through an intramuscular injection. It's currently approved to treat adults with true growth hormone deficiency — not the expected decline in growth hormone due to aging. Growth hormone deficiency can be caused by pituitary tumors and radiation or surgery to the pituitary gland, among other causes.
Human growth hormone is also approved for:
- Children with short stature
- Children with kidney failure
- Children with Prader-Willi syndrome
- Children with Turner's syndrome
- Muscle wasting associated with AIDS and HIV
Studies of adults with growth hormone deficiencies show that injections of human growth hormone can:
- Increase bone density
- Increase muscle mass
- Decrease body fat
- Bolster the heart's ability to contract
- Improve mood and motivation
- Increase exercise capacity
Because of those results, some people believe that synthetic human growth hormone can help healthy older adults who have naturally low levels of growth hormone regain some of their youth and vitality.
What can human growth hormone do for healthy older adults who don't need it?
Studies of healthy older adults taking human growth hormone are limited. Many involve a small number of people followed for a short period of time. The studies that have been conducted have found that human growth hormone injections can increase muscle mass and reduce the amount of body fat in healthy older adults.
That increase in muscle doesn't translate into increased strength. Though the study participants gained muscle, they weren't any stronger. One study compared older men who took human growth hormone with older men who went through strength training programs. The bottom line: Strength training can increase both your muscle mass and your strength, making it cheaper and more effective than taking human growth hormone.
It isn't clear whether human growth hormone can provide other benefits, such as increased bone density and improved mood, to healthy adults. Most of the research into human growth hormone has focused on people with true growth hormone deficiencies.
Are there any risks to taking human growth hormone if you don't need it?
Taking human growth hormone can cause a number of side effects, including:
- Swelling in your arms and legs
- Arthritis-like symptoms
- Carpal tunnel symptoms
- Headaches
- Bloating
- Muscle pain
- Diabetes
- Abnormal growth of bones and internal organs
- Hardening of the arteries
- High blood pressure
Some evidence shows that side effects of human growth hormone treatments may be more likely in older adults than in younger adults. Also, because the studies of healthy adults taking human growth hormone have been short term, it isn't clear whether these side effects could eventually dissipate or become worse. For instance, though human growth hormone produced arthritis-like symptoms, it isn't clear if this would progress into arthritis. More study is needed.
Does human growth hormone come in pill form?
Some Web sites claim to sell a pill form of human growth hormone that produces results similar to the injected form of the drug. Sometimes these are called human growth hormone releasers. There's no proof that these claims are true. In fact, if you were to swallow human growth hormone, it would likely be digested by your stomach acids and not absorbed into your body.
Web sites also sell homeopathic remedies claiming to contain human growth hormone. There's no proof that these work, either.
Talk it over with your doctor
Your doctor can explain more about how human growth hormone works in your body and whether it's something your body needs more of. If you have specific concerns about aging, such as gaining weight, your doctor can suggest ways to improve your health safely. Taking simple steps, such as eating a diet full of fruits and vegetables and exercising daily, can help keep your body in shape and help you feel better about yourself as you get older.
