Human growth hormone and aging

chronic pain waterloo ontario canada

The pituitary gland in the brain makes and secretes natural growth hormone (GH). In combination with other hormones, it is responsible for body development early in life.

Throughout your life, growth hormone continues to play a role in protein production and helps the body use fat for energy. Unfortunately, shortly after your teen years, your GH levels begin a gradual decline. This decline corresponds to the natural aging process as the cells within your body lose their ability to repair themselves. The drop in GH levels also results in decreased muscle mass and increased fat mass.

By age 55, blood levels of growth hormone are about one-third lower than they are in people under 35.

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Growth Hormone (GH) in healthy older people, there was a review of 31 high-quality studies that were completed after 1989. They evaluated 220 subjects who received GH and 227 control subjects who did not get growth hormone. As compared to the subjects who did not get GH, the treated individuals gained an average of 4.6 pounds of lean body mass, and they shed a similar amount of body fat.

GH also acts on many tissues throughout the body, stimulating the growth of bone, cartilage, hair and nails. This can be of increased importance to us as we age as joint and bone health become ever more important to our wellness and longevity.

It has been proven adults who receive growth hormone injections have protection from fractures, increased muscle mass, decreased fat mass, improved exercise capacity and energy, reduced risk of future heart disease and improved cholesterol. For these reasons, Growth Hormone Therapy can be a useful tool to combat the aging process and increase health.