Human Growth Hormone as an Anti-aging Agent
Written by: Mike Spinner Pharm. D. Student UMKC
Currently, the safety and efficacy of Growth Hormone (GH) as an anti-aging
agent are unknown. Theoretically, if GH decreases in an aging patient, then
replenishing it in an aging patient should help counteract the effects of GH
deficiency. However, GH is not only associated with positive results. A risk to
benefit assessment which incorporates the side effects would help determine if this
were to be a realistic possibility. Objectives include a brief look at the background
and physiology of GH, revealing its known effects on the body, identifying what
happens when there is abundance vs. deficiency in the body, and finally discussing
relevant literature that evaluates GH as an anti-aging agent.
Growth Hormone is a complex hormone and many of its effects on the body are
still not fully understood.[6] GH is stored and secreted by the anterior pituitary
gland. It’s levels in the body are controlled by the hypothalamus which secretes
Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH) also known as somatocrinin and
Growth Hormone Inhibiting Hormone (GHIH) also known as somatostatin.[1]
Production of GH is stimulated by deep sleep, fasting, and hypoglycemia and is
inhibited by Insulin Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) via negative feedback,
hyperglycemia, and glucocorticoids.[1] “Young adolescents secrete HGH at the
rate of about700 μg/day, while healthy adults secrete HGH at the rate of about 400
μg/day”. [1] The next step is learning what effects GH has on the human body how
the body will respond to an inappropriate amount of GH.
The effects of GH are wide ranging and include calcium retention which
strengthens bones, increases muscle mass, initiates lipolysis and protein synthesis,
stimulates the growth of internal organs, promotes gluconeogenesis, helps maintain
pancreatic function, and stimulates the immune system.[3] One of the most
common adverse effects reported from GH excess is tumor of the somatotroph
cells in the anterior pituitary. Other effects include thickening of the bones and
increased size of digits (Acromegaly), carpal tunnel syndrome, insulin resistance,
muscle weakness, and reduced sexual function.[3] GH deficiency can also exhibit
many effects including stunted growth and decreased muscle mass.[3] Many
people have used GH for purported anti-aging effects.
The following is a summary pulled from a systematic review containing 31
studies about the efficacy and safety of GH use in the healthy elderly:
“The rationale for using GH as an anti-aging therapy, referred to by some as
the “sweet syringe of youth”, lies in the age-related decline in activity of the
hypothalamic growth hormone–insulin-like growth factor axis, a
phenomenon referred to as the “somatopause”. Some signs and symptoms of
GH deficiency (that is, GH deficiency due to hypothalamic or pituitary
defects), such as increased adiposity and decreased lean body mass, are
similar to changes that occur with aging, suggesting that GH replacement
therapy may ameliorate age-related changes. Although GH therapy improves
body composition, bone density, and cholesterol levels and may decrease
death in people who are GH-deficient, its safety, efficacy, and role in the
healthy elderly is highly controversial. Whereas proponents of GH have
recommended its use for treating the somatopause, others, including the
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, have warned that such
therapy is not warranted. High levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1),
which are regulated by GH levels, may be associated with serious adverse
events, including prostate cancer. Furthermore, the distribution of GH for
use as an anti-aging therapy in the United States is illegal.”[3]
The conclusion of the systematic review states the following: “literature published
on randomized, controlled trials evaluating GH therapy in the healthy elderly is
limited but suggests that it is associated with small changes in body composition
and increased rates of adverse events, specifically soft tissue edema and
arthralgias”.[3] Based on this evidence, GH cannot be recommended as an antiaging therapy.[3]
After looking at the physiology, the problems associated with excess and
deficiency, and the evidence behind GH as an anti-aging agent; what is the
appropriate response to healthy patient (not GH deficient) seeking information
about the use of it as an anti-aging agent? First, inform them that it is not FDA
approved for this use and distribution for these purposes is illegal. Despite online
stories of reversing the aging process, evidence suggests that the risks outweigh the
benefits in the healthy elderly population.
1. Gardner, David G., Shoback, Dolores (2007). Greenspan's Basic and Clinical
Endocrinology (8th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Medical. pp. 193–201.
2. Lexi Comp Online. <www.lexi.com>
3. Liu H, Bravata DM, Olkin I, Nayak S, Roberts B, Garber AM, Hoffman AR (January
2007). "Systematic review: the safety and efficacy of growth hormone in the healthy
elderly". Ann. Intern. Med. 146 (2): 104–15.
4. Medscape Through Web MD
5. "No proof that growth hormone therapy makes you live longer, study finds".
PhysOrg.com. 2007-01-16. http://www.physorg.com/news88140162.html.
6. Rudman D, Feller AG, Nagraj HS, Gergans GA, Lalitha PY, Goldberg AF, Schlenker
RA, Cohn L, Rudman IW, Mattson DE (July 1990). "Effects of human growth hormone
in men over 60 years old". N. Engl. J. Med. 323 (1): 1–6.
7. Stephen Barrett, M.D. Growth Hormone Schemes and Scams