Overlooked signs that you really do need HGH

Human growth hormone has been in the news a lot lately. A doctor in Canada caught regulators' attention when he gave prescriptions for HGH to several professional athletes. I'm sure these athletes didn't need HGH. But it's quite possible you do — even if your doctor says you don't.

As I've told you before, knowing whether or not you have the symptoms of a deficiency is the key to identifying hormonal deficiencies. Lab testing won't help much.

The symptoms of HGH deficiency are often a bit subtle and somewhat nonspecific. For example, one clinical paper says you should take HGH "to improve conditioning and strength, to restore normal body composition, and to improve the quality of life."ÿ So what do they mean by "improve the quality of life"?

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The best explanation of this somewhat vague phrase is that it means to improve the way an older person feels to a point very close to how he felt as a young person. That can encompass a wide variety of symptoms. It also refers to reducing the incidence and chance of developing the diseases of aging. HGH therapy can be very effective at doing both of these things.

Published data that has looked at people who have HGH deficiency shows that they have a reduced life expectancy. And they have a much higher risk for premature cardiovascular disease.

Fortunately, there are other indicators to look for in determining whether you need HGH supplementation or not. These include:

• Reduced bone mineral density
• Decreased pumping strength of the heart. This is typical of congestive heart failure. It might also show up on an echo cardiogram as a decrease in ventricular ejection (<60%).
• Central abdominal obesity (when the only place you are fat is in your abdomen).
• Reduced muscularity
• Sagging muscles and skin
• Thin, dry skin
• Thinning hair

In addition, here are the symptoms of HGH deficiency:

• Low energy level
• Emotional disturbances such as anxiety, social isolation, or just general moodiness
• Reduced exercise capacity
• Decreased strength and endurance
• Difficulty losing weight
• Decreased libido
• Impaired sleep

If you have a significant number of these symptoms, ask your doctor to give you a trial of HGH.ÿ The dose should be high enough to get your somatomedin-c (also known as IGF-1) blood level above 225 ng/ml. A good starting dose is .4 mg per day.

If this does not significantly improve your symptoms within six months, then they are probably not due to HGH deficiency. If they are, then you are on the way to increasing both your life expectancy and the quality of your life.

Here's one more tip: HGH is expensive — about $250-300 per month. Medicare will not cover it, but many insurance companies will provided that your doctor performs a GHRH-arginine test, and your levels of HGH are below 4.1 mcg/L.

Finding your Real Cures,

Frank Shallenberger, MD

REFS:
Molitch ME, Clemmons DR, Malozowski S, et al. Evaluation and treatment of adult growth hormone deficiency: an Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. May 2006;91(5):1621-34.

Bengtsson BA, Eden S, Lonn L. Treatment of adults with growth hormone (GH) deficiency with recombinant human GH. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1993;76(2):309-17.

Bates AS, Van't Hoff W, Jones PJ. The effect of hypopituitarism on life expectancy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1996;81(3):1169-72.

Utz AL, Yamamoto A, Hemphill L, et al. Growth hormone deficiency by GHRH/arginine testing criteria predicts increased cardiovascular risk markers in normal young overweight and obese women. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Apr 29 2008;

Biller BM, Samuels MH, Zagar A, et al. Sensitivity and specificity of six tests for the diagnosis of adult GH deficiency. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. May 2002;87(5):2067-79.

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