Growth Hormone Treatment – Management for GH Deficient Children and Adults

Growth Hormone Treatment – Management for GH Deficient Children and Adults

Decades ago natural growth hormone (GH) was taken from the glands of the human pituitary and administered to children deficient in the hormone.  In modern times GH is created synthetically and administered to both adults and children for numerous different reasons.  For the last half-century therapy using growth hormone has been the center of a myriad of ethical and social debate.

The form of growth hormone that is from humans is called human growth hormone, or simply hGH.  The abbreviation GH can mean either biosynthetic growth hormone used for therapy (somatropin), or natural human growth hormone that is produced by the human pituitary gland (somatotropin). The abbreviation hGH occasionally is used for false or counterfeit growth hormone products.

What has been named Cadaver growth hormone is the unappealing term for GH obtained from human pituitary glands from the years 1960 to 1985 for therapeutic use for children deficient in this hormone.  In the United States this type of growth hormone is also known as NPA growth hormone (National Pituitary Agency).  Beginning in the year 1985 connected with the development of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease and was subsequently taken off the market.

Growth hormone research has shown that for people with growth hormone deficiency the treatment is to replace growth hormone.  Throughout the world all GH administered by medical professionals is the synthetic form of human GH, which is manufactured through recombinant DNA technology.  Due to the fact that the protein molecule of GH is large in size, it must be administered through injection into subcutaneous muscle or tissue for it to get into the blood. In addition to injectable human growth hormone alternative forms have recently been introduced have been a growth hormone supplement and growth hormone spray.

Growth Hormone Treatment for Deficient Children

When an individual has an extended duration of GH deficiency, benefits of treatment are frequently noticeable, and any adverse growth hormone side effects of treatment are uncommon.  Pediatric clinical trials have shown that within a period of months a child deficient in growth hormone will start to grow at a more rapid pace as measured by medical infant growth chart standards.  Additional benefits may come in the form of a reduction in body fat, elevated strength, and development in motor function.

 

It has been noted that children that are deficient in GH is who receive therapeutic doses of the hormone have the lowest levels of risk for competitions and obtain the greatest benefit. The challenges to the families of children who are receiving growth hormone treatment is substantial and terms are of effort, money, and possibly their quality of life. 

Typically a child receiving growth hormone treatment requires injections on a daily basis, which usually continues as long as the child is growing.  The possibility of treatment beyond child growing years may be advised for individuals whose deficiency is most severe as adults.  The majority of pediatric physicians monitors the growth of the child and makes any necessary adjustments to the dosage every three or four months.

Growth Hormone Treatment for Deficient Adults

FDA clinical trials have shown that severely growth hormone deficient adults can obtain quantifiable benefits, which include but are not limited to increased bone density, and elevated strength and energy.  Fat is often lessened and replaced with muscle mass.

Measurable lipid levels in the blood improve, but long term mortality benefits have not been shown to date.The administration of growth hormone for adults with severe deficiency is frequently administered as daily injections at a weekly dose of roughly 25% of dosages for growth hormone deficient children, and at a lower cost as well. 

Regardless of the potential benefits, the majority of adults with growth hormone deficiency never get treated due to various factors such as a lack of desire as young adults to look for medical care, lack of insurance coverage, unwillingness to receive growth hormone injections, and significantly less instances of proper diagnosis and treatment offered by internist’s endocrinologists. Growth hormone has also been selectively used for as treatment for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue treatment although it is not a standard treatment for either condition.

Growth hormone bodybuilding supplements have entered the world of the competitive athlete’s arena due to its ability to increase muscle mass and strength. This has prompted the government to take action on illegal growth hormone abuse.Growth hormone use continues to grow as of 2004, however it is not the most expensive prescription drug to use anymore.

Variations of synthetic growth hormone are accessible in the United States (and the respective manufactures) include Humatrope (Lilly), Nutropin (Genentech), Genotropin (Pfizer), Tev-Tropin (Teva), Norditropin (Novo), and Saizen (Serono). The growth hormone drugs vary mainly in how they are formulated and the particular delivery devices.