USES OF HUMAN GROWTH HORMONE
Growth
hormone was initially used for children of short stature who are
growth hormone deficient, either because of an inactive pituitary,
a tumor of the pituitary, or destruction of the pituitary by surgery
or by radiation to remove a tumor.
The other pituitary hormones were replaced along with GH. Growth
hormone was used only until the children reached an acceptable adult
height and then it was stopped because it was thought to be useful
only for growth. The other pituitary hormones, however, which were
thought to be more critical, were continued throughout adulthood.
It wasn't until much later that adult growth hormone deficiency
was recognized to be a problem. It was discovered that adults who
were deficient in growth hormone suffered from premature cardiovascular
disease, reduced bone density, central obesity, decreased muscle
mass, depressed mood, elevated levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol,
slower wound healing, fatigue, poor exercise tolerance and poor
immune function.
At that point the use of growth hormone began in this unfortunate
population, resulting in improvement of all of the above. It wasn't
until 1990, however, that the benefits of growth hormone and the
treatment of normal aging were recognized.
The most recent new use of growth hormone is for the treatment of
AIDS Wasting Syndrome. This is the condition of weakness, fatigue,
and loss of muscle mass in AIDS patients.
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