What Are The Risks Of Growth Hormone?

The anterior lobe of the pituitary gland synthesizes and releases growth hormone. This peptide plays an important role in development and reproduction. Several medical conditions feature low levels of growth hormone. Children with disorders such as Prader-Willi and Turner syndromes can benefit from supplementation. Adults with growth hormone deficiency may benefit by taking somatropin, a synthetic form of growth hormone. Often touted as a panacea for aging, growth hormone replacement can cause adverse reactions.

Breast Development

Gynecomastia is the unwanted development of unusually large breasts in men. People receiving growth hormone supplements may experience this side effect. A 2010 case report published in the "Indian Journal of Pediatrics" describes a boy who developed breasts following growth hormone use. Older men receiving hormone replacement therapy may also experience gynecomastia. A 1998 study in the "Journals of Gerontology" tested recombinant growth hormone in older men at risk for injury from falls. Subjects commonly reported gynecomastia as a complication resulting from treatment.

Tissue Inflammation

Edema is the build up of fluid in the soft tissues of the body. Growth hormone use often causes such an adverse reaction. A 2009 paper in the "Journal of Medical Case Reports" describes a young girl who survived the head irradiation necessary to remove a brain tumor. The chemotherapy damaged her pituitary gland and permanently lowered her growth hormone levels. Somatotropin use normalized these levels but caused inflammatory lesions and edema. Brief cessation of hormone replacement therapy reduced the inflammation and lower doses of growth hormone prevented recurrence.

Nerve Disorders

Peripheral nerve disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome are often associated with growth hormone intake. Users also report numbness, tingling, and pain in the limbs. Some athletes illicitly take pituitary products to enhance muscle growth and hasten body healing. A 2000 case report presented in the "Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation" describes a patient who developed peripheral nerve pain after self-medicating with growth hormone. The 33-year-old man, a professional bodybuilder, displayed carpal tunnel during electrodiagnosis, a test in which electrical activity is measured. Cessation of growth hormone restored normal function within three weeks.

Diabetes Risk

Difficulty maintaining the proper sugar level is indicative of diabetes. People taking growth hormone often exhibit such a symptom. A 2002 investigation published in the "World Journal of Surgery" tested somatropin use in burn victims needing skin grafts. Unlike previous research, injections of recombinant growth hormone failed to facilitate healing. Forty percent of the users exhibited transient diabetes requiring insulin therapy.

Cancer Mortality

Growth hormone use may correlate with increased cancer risk. A 2002 survey offered in the journal "Lancet" suggests that patients who took growth hormone obtained from human pituitaries have a greater risk of cancer mortality. Such patients showed a greater incidence of colorectal cancer and Hodgkin's disease. These subjects used growth hormone harvested from cadavers and not the purer forms available today. Thus other factors such as contamination may explain the results. Nonetheless, growth hormone must be used with caution.