Human growth hormone, HGH, plays an important role in development and regeneration. According to a 2009 review in "Therapeutic Drug Monitoring," the pituitary gland releases HGH in short pulses during the daytime hours. The paper also notes that patients use HGH to cure a variety of ailments, and athletes abuse HGH to improve their athletic abilities. Several types of HGH exist, yet few forms safely and effectively treat legitimate medical conditions.
Natural HGH
The human body remains the only source of natural HGH, also called somatotropin. A 1997 review in the "Journal of Pediatrics" describes somatotropin isolation from the pituitary glands of human cadavers. From 1956 to 1985, the National Pituitary Agency administered this form of HGH to children with growth deficiencies with great success. In 1985, concerns arose about using NPA growth hormone because of the potential transmission of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Since then, cadaver HGH has remained unavailable by law.
Synthetic HGH
According to the online site Somatropin, chemists make growth hormone analogs in a laboratory using recombinant DNA technology. The most common of these products is called somatropin. Another product, somatrem, has a structure similar to somatropin, but it contains an additional methionyl amino acid. This addition may cause antibodies to build up in the body, and thus somatrem may produce unwanted side effects.
Recombinant forms of growth hormone provide the only safe and effective way to receive HGH treatment. (See Reference 3) These drugs require intramuscular injection. (See Reference 3) And only a licensed physician can prescribe them. (See Reference 3)
Sustained-Release HGH
The LG company has produced a sustained-release form of recombinant HGH. According to a 2009 LG press release, this product, known as LB03002, increases growth hormone levels in people with growth hormone deficiency. Patients receiving LB03002 in weekly injections reported less body fat and more muscle mass. Equally important, they experienced no adverse reactions. Sustained-release HGH sells as the prescription drug Declage in Korea, and it awaits FDA approval in the United States.
Homeopathic HGH
According to the online website Somatropin, growth hormone is often touted as an anti-aging miracle drug. Because of increasing demand, several companies have developed nonprescription forms of HGH. These products, often referred to as homeopathic, may or may not contain actual growth hormone. Such substances, usually available as a nasal spray, often claim to contain growth-hormone releasers as well.
These products remain ineffective. (See Reference 5) Growth hormone does not easily penetrate the nasal membrane, it does not store well at room temperature, and releasers have no known impact on endogenous HGH levels. (See Reference 5) In addition, these substances may contain animal products with unknown effects. (See Reference 5)
References
- "Therapeutic Drug Monitoring"; Growth Hormone in Sport: Beyond Beijing 2008; J. Segura et al.; February 2009
- "Journal of Pediatrics"; The Not-So-Good Old Days: Working with Pituitary Growth Hormone in North America, 1956 to 1985; S. D. Frasier; July 1997
- Somatropin: HGH Types
- LG Life Sciences: Sustained Release Human Growth Hormone (LB03002) Positive Phase 3 Data
- HGH Scams: HGH (Human Growth Hormone) and Anti aging Products Scams Exposed
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