What is Human Growth Hormone (HGH)?
Some people turn to a substance called Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in hopes that it will keep them feeling and looking youthful. But experts say that hope is unfounded. And worse, these products can be harmful.
HGH, produced by the pituitary gland, spurs growth in children and adolescents. It also helps to regulate body composition, body fluids, muscle and bone growth, sugar and fat metabolism, and possibly heart function. Produced synthetically, HGH is the active ingredient in a number of prescription drugs and in other products available widely over the Internet.
HGH USES AND ABUSES
Synthetic human growth hormone was developed in 1985 and approved by the
FDA for specific uses in children and adults. In children, HGH injections are approved for treating short stature of unknown cause as well as poor growth due to a number of medical causes, including:
Turner’s syndrome:A genetic disorder that affects a girl’s development.
Prader-Willi syndrome:An uncommon genetic disorder causing poor muscle tone, low levels of sex hormones, and a constant feeling of hunger
Chronic kidney disease.
In adults, approved uses of HGH include:
*Short bowel syndrome:A condition in which nutrients are not properly absorbed due to severe intestinal disease or the surgical removal of a large portion of the small intestine.
*HGH deficiency due to rare pituitary tumorsor their treatment
*Muscle-wasting disease associated with HIV/AIDS
However, the most common uses for HGH are not FDA-approved. Some people use the hormone, along with other performance-enhancing drugs such as anabolic steroids in an attempt to build muscle and improve athletic performance. Yet HGH’s effect on athletic performance is unknown.
Because the body’s HGH levels naturally decrease with age, some so-called anti-aging experts have speculated and claimed that HGH products could reverse age-related bodily deterioration. But these claims, too, are unproven. The use of HGH for anti-aging is not FDA-approved.
– Culled from The WebMD Medical
