HGH therapy is a treatment to increase the levels of human growth hormone (HGH) if its levels are reduced.
Synthetic HGH is used if the body doesn’t produce the natural growth hormone in a proper way.
Treatment involves an injection of recombinant bio-synthetic growth hormone, a substance that is also known as somatropin.
Growth hormone is important, but its production declines naturally as we age. Having good levels of HGH can increase energy, help weight loss, build muscle, increase sexual drive, increase strength, and boost the immune system.
What is growth hormone?
Growth hormone is produced by the somatotroph cells of the anterior pituitary. Its secretion is stimulated by growth hormone-releasing hormone and inhibited by somatostatin which are both produced by the hypothalamus.
Growth hormone secretion is pulsatile, and the amplitude of the pulses is greatest at night. Twenty-four-hour growth hormone secretion is maximal during puberty and declines gradually thereafter in both women and men.
Growth hormone acts by binding to receptors on liver cells and other cells. One growth hormone molecule binds to two receptor molecules on the target cell, initiating a cascade of events that results in the secretion of insulin-like growth factor I, which mediates many of the biological actions of growth hormone.
Some of the extracellular domain of the receptor is released into the serum, and approximately 50 percent of growth hormone in serum is bound to this part of the receptor. Despite its name, growth hormone has other actions in addition to promoting growth in children.
The goals of growth hormone therapy differ somewhat in adults and children. In adults, the goals are to restore normal body composition, improve muscle and cardiac function, normalize serum lipid concentrations, and improve the quality of life.
Who will benefit from HGH treatment?
Men and women wishing to receive HGH therapy usually fall into one of three groups and these are:
- Those who have adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD). They are over the age of 35 and would like to slow down the aging process, improve sexual performance, and increase their quality of life.
- Top athletes who wish to improve their energy, speed, stamina and generally enhance their performance.
- Adults who are active or athletic, but who have little or no HGH in their blood and who may have a poor immune system.
All of the above will only benefit from HGH therapy if they have low levels of somatotrophin (growth hormone) in their blood. Approximately 90-95% of adults with growth hormone deficiency will benefit from HGH therapy.
Three Ways of Increasing HGH
There are three ways of improving the levels of HGH:
- Using Sermorelin – a substance that is able to increase the natural secretion of HGH by the pituitary gland.
- Using human growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) that is injectable.
- Using human growth hormone (HGH) that can be injected.
People over the age of 45 will usually find the last way of increasing HGH to be the most effective.
HGH Therapy Benefits
- Help reduce excess body fat, especially around the abdominal area, and many people find this to be the most profound effect of using replacement therapy.
- Increase muscle mass and strength in case if it’s combined with moderate exercise.
- Reduce some effects of skin aging such as wrinkles.
- Help to rejuvenate certain internal organs that may have atrophied during aging.
- Increase bone density.
- Help to strengthen the immune system.
- Help to stimulate the production of bone marrow cells.
- Reverse cognitive decline, helping to reduce the possibility of needing to spend your twilight years in a nursing home.
Growth Hormone Dosage
According to FDA recommendations, the starting dose of growth hormone in adults is 3 to 4 μg per kilogram given once daily by subcutaneous injection, with a maximal daily dose of 25 μg per kilogram for patients up to 35 years of age and 12.5 μg per kilogram for older patients.
These recommendations are based on clinical trials in which growth hormone was administered according to body weight. However, the Growth Hormone Research Society consensus conference has recommended a starting dose of 150 to 300 μg per day, regardless of body weight.
The goal of therapy is to restore the serum concentration of insulin-like growth factor I to the middle of the normal range for persons of the same sex and similar age.
Initially, patients should be evaluated at one-to-two-month intervals by means of clinical observation and measurement of serum insulin-like growth factor I, and the dose of growth hormone should be adjusted as needed to maintain the target value for serum insulin-like growth factor I.
You can learn more about HGH within a free qualified consultation with one of our experts.