Archive for July, 2008
HGH therapy for as little as six months causes as much as a 25% reduction in body fat, with the greatest reduction occurring in the region of the abdomen. For those people who would like to add a bit of height to their frame, they try taking in growth hormone pills and injections to be able to supplement their loss in stature. Unfortunately, these types of medications cost a lot of money to purchase. Concurrently, the reduced lean tissue mass of the GHD patient is increased substantially by treatment with GH. This change is reflected in large part by improvement in muscle mass. Additional research done by the medical community has discovered some high quality HGH releasers and their intricate formulas. Releasers work hand-in-hand with your body. They send a signal to your body’s pituitary gland, telling it to increase its release of HGH. Although improvements in bone mineral density would be an anticipated effect of GH replacement therapy, systematic studies have not shown that this occurs. However, long periods of observation are needed to assess changes in bone mineral density.
Effects on Physical Performance
Probably because of its beneficial effects on skeletal muscle, heart muscle and metabolism, treatment with GH improves exercise performance, oxygen consumption and cardiac output.
Effects on Blood Lipid Levels
The blood lipid profile improves with GH therapy. Specifically, total cholesterol and low density and lipoprotein cholesterol are reduced and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (good cholesterol) is increased. The extent to which these changes retard the development of atherosclerosis are not yet known.
As your HGH levels go up, you may begin to see remarkable anti-aging signs in your body, such as:
> Weight loss
> Increased muscle mass and lower body fat
> Improved skin with less wrinkles
> Stronger bones
> Faster recovery from illness and injuries
> Increased energy levels
> Deeper sleep in a shorter period of time
> Increased libido and stamina
> Improved mood
> Higher levels of mental clarity and performance
> An overall more youthful look and feel
Effects on Psychological Well Being
One of the striking effects of GH therapy in GHD adults is the improve-ment in psychological well-being reported by these patients. Many experience a rapid improvement in their energy level. Improvements in mood and in the level of perceived psychological distress also have been documented.
Other Considerations
Treatment with GH requires that the hormone be injected daily into the fat tissue beneath the skin. This is made relatively simple by the need for small volumes of GH and the availability of fine, small-bore needles.
In the hierarchy of treatments used for patients with various illnesses, GH is relatively safe. Through the use of growth hormones, we can fix what we have now and help our skin and body later down the road. Make sure that the anti-aging product you use has some very effective anti-oxidants in the active ingredients list. Over 30 years of experience with GH therapy in children has uncovered few adverse effects of the hormone. In adults, who are treated with a smaller weight-related dose, edema (collection of fluid in tissue) and discomfort in the joints are sometime reported. Recent research shows that growth hormone levels are lowered by having lots of fat stored in your belly. However, no one knows whether these growth hormone manipulations have any effect on the aging process since we have no dependable tests for aging.
Decreasing the dosage temporarily can relieve these. Because GH antagonizes the action of insulin, it will tend to raise blood sugar values, although this has not proven to be a significant problem in children. Individuals with prolonged excessive GH from a pituitary tumor have a tendency to develop tumors elsewhere in the body. This raises the concern that GH might promote the development or growth of tumors. This, however, has not been observed to be the case with HGH therapy.
Adults produce and need GH.
Adults who are deficient in GH accumulate excess fat, have deficient lean tissue, have lower bone mineral content, have an unfavorable blood lipid profile, and experience undesirable psychological effects.
Treatment with GH reverses/attenuates many of the effects of GH deficiency-leading to better physical performance and a healthier psychological status.
Use of GH in children for nearly 40 years indicates that it has a high degree of safety.
Uncategorized | 14.07.2008 19:01 | Comments Off
We often think of Growth Hormone Deficiency as a childhood issue. This is true. However, it can be a deficiency which follows an affected person into adulthood. The transition from childhood growth hormone deficiency to adult growth hormone therapy (which will last a lifetime) can be confusing. Dr. Underwood prepared the following article to assist our understanding of this transition from childhood growth hormone deficiency to adult growth hormone therapy. Please feel free to call us with any questions you may have, or for additional assistance.
Growth Hormone Therapy- The Transition to Adulthood
Growth hormone (GH; somatotropin), a principal stimulator of body growth, is produced by the pituitary (or master) gland, a small structure located at the base of the brain. Production of too little Growth Hormone (growth hormone deficiency; GHD) in children causes growth to be slow. Because Growth Hormone Deficiency produces striking effects in children and has been a recognized condition for many years, we usually associate the term GHD with children and with the process of statural growth. Growth Hormone, however, is also secreted in adult life, and adults need Growth Hormone to maintain health. Adults who produce too little Growth Hormone also are designated as Growth Hormone Deficient, or we sometimes use the term somatotropin deficiency.
Causes of Growth Hormone Deficiency
Growth Hormone Deficiency in many adults is the continuation of a process that began in infancy or childhood, or it may have its onset after adulthood is reached. The most common form of Growth Hormone Deficiency beginning early in life is termed “idiopathic”, meaning that the cause is not determined. Known causes beginning in childhood include developmental defects in the region of the pituitary gland, genetic problems with the production of GH, damage to the pituitary area resulting from tumor, infection, irradiation, etc. The most common causes of adult-onset Growth Hormone Deficiency are tumors in and around the pituitary gland. Such tumors may compress and damage the remaining pituitary gland, or the GHD may follow efforts to remove the tumor. Other causes of damage to the pituitary of adults include infection, blood vessel disease, and irradiation administered for treatment of tumors of the head or neck.
The Adult Who Was Growth Hormone Deficient During Childhood
In the 3½ decades that Growth Hormone has been used therapeutically, the emphasis has been on alleviation of the short stature of Growth Hormone deficient children. For the most part, these patients have been led to believe that the only purpose of GH therapy was to stimulate their growth so that they would achieve an acceptable adult height and that therapy would not be needed once they reached their adult height. Experience in recent years, however, has led to the conclusion that many, if not most, of the adults who were GH deficient during childhood need to continue GH therapy in adult life.
Uncategorized | 14.07.2008 18:59 | Comments Off
One cause of children’s growth failure is Growth Hormone Deficiency. Growth hormone is secreted by the pituitary and is one of a number of hormones affecting a child’s growth. This hormone is also effective in maintaining the youthfulness of the skin and body. Many people nearing or at middle age tend to use this substance since it helps slow down the bad effects of aging which include having wrinkles and sagging muscles. Sometimes there is a deficiency of other pituitary hormones resulting in Hypopituitarism. However, for this segment we will restrict our discussion to growth hormone deficiency in children.
A growth hormone deficient child usually shows a growth pattern of less than 2 inches a year. In many cases the growth hormone deficient child will grow normally until the age of 2 or 3 and then begin to show signs of delayed growth. Other children will experience growth failure earlier or later than this age range. Though much smaller, these growth hormone deficient children have normal body proportions and often tend to look younger than their peers. Some may appear to be on the higher percentile in weight, though cases of Growth Hormone Deficiency have been diagnosed for children of low weight.
Testing for Growth Hormone Deficiency will occur when other possibilities of short stature have been ruled out. A child’s growth hormone secretion will be stimulated by one of several agents such as clonidine and Ldopa. The release of growth hormone may also be measured over a period of 8-12 hours, since growth hormone secretion varies throughout the day and is greatest after falling asleep. Growth hormone is produced in large amounts by both males and females during puberty and assists with the growth of the entire body, including the breasts.
Once diagnosed with GHD, treatment is with human growth hormone, now available in unlimited quantities. Though every child may not react similarly to growth hormone treatment, the majority of children under therapy today reach a normal adult height or nearly their full growth potential. Growth hormone therapy is given by injection, either daily or several times per week. Parents are trained to give these injections and children, once they are comfortable with it, continue on their own.
Early diagnosis is extremely important for a growth hormone deficient child. To obtain the best results, a child must be diagnosed and treated at a relatively young age. Many children much shorter than their peers experience both physical and emotional problems. Communicate with your child, offer assistance when necessary, but remember, act towards your child according to their age, not according to their size.
Uncategorized | 14.07.2008 18:58 | Comments Off