Growth Hormone Replacement Therapy: Benefits and Misuse

The pituitary gland located just below your brain secretes growth hormone responsible for the overall growth of your bones and muscles during childhood. It also plays an important role later in life, as it maintains the metabolism of proteins, fats, and lipids in the body.

Some children may have a deficiency of growth hormone due to a congenital disability. It is natural for the pituitary gland to secrete reduced amounts of the growth hormone as you age. However, sometimes, a tumor in the pituitary gland, trauma, or infection may result in an acquired growth hormone deficiency. The treatment for these conditions includes growth hormone replacement therapy.

However, apart from the prescribed therapy, there are reports of misuse of the growth hormone therapy. Let us discuss the benefits and abuse of growth hormone therapy.

Benefits of growth hormone therapy:

Doctors treat growth hormone deficiency with replacement therapy. Synthetically made human growth hormone such as recombinant human growth hormone is available for treating the deficiency as prescription medicine.

Adults who take growth hormone experience the following benefits:

• Protection from fractures.

• Increased muscle mass.

• Boost in energy.

• Reduced risk of heart disease.

Misuse of growth hormone:

With the beneficial effects of growth hormone, it is also misused by some people. The following are a few instances of misuse of growth hormone treatment:

• The muscle building and energy-enhancing ability of growth hormone make athletes turn towards it for better performance. Many athletes take this hormone and other anabolic steroids, which is considered as abuse of the hormone. Daily injections of the growth hormone improve performance and the exercise capacity of the athletes.

• Some people also consider it for antiaging therapy, although the USFDA has not approved it for this use. Many older people consider it an antiaging treatment that may reverse the ailments that occur due to old age. You need to consider the side effects of the continuous use of growth hormone before you consider taking such treatments.

Risks associated with growth hormone misuse:

The following risks are associated with the misuse:

• Fluid retention.

• Carpal tunnel syndrome.

• Insulin resistance.

• Joint and muscle pain.

• Increase in breast size of men.

• Increased risk of cancer.

Misuse of growth hormone in field games is illegal. If you test positive in doping tests, you may face a ban from the sports world. If you are considering using it as an antiaging agent, be careful regarding its severe side effects. Use the growth hormone therapy only when prescribed by your doctor to treat a particular health condition. Proper diet and exercise are critical to improved health and work capacity. Consult a doctor for the best advice.