Human Growth Hormone Abuse

Type in "Human Growth Hormone Supplement" at your favorite search engine and you'll find over a million results with just as many paid advertisements touting the benefits of human growth hormone supplements.

Due to the tremendous influx of information available on human growth hormone supplements, most people are under the false impression that these supplements are legal and safe. The only legal human growth hormone supplements are those approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for specific medical conditions. These human growth hormone supplements are available only by prescription and administered via injection by a qualified healthcare practitioner.

Human growth hormone (HGH) is made by the pituitary gland, a pea-size structure located at the base of the brain. Human growth hormone is important for normal growth in children and normal development and maintenance of tissues and organs.

Studies have shown that human growth hormone supplements are helpful to certain people. Human growth hormone supplements are given to children who are unusually short because their bodies do not produce HGH. When they take human growth hormone supplements, their growth improves. Human growth hormone supplements are given to people whose pituitary gland is destroyed due to surgery or radiation. Human growth hormone supplements are also given to individuals who suffer from Turner's syndrome, chronic renal insufficiency, intrauterine growth retardation and Prader-Willi syndrome.

Human growth hormone is undisputedly a potent hormone with a wide variety of biological effects. It has been used to treat a broad range of clinical conditions including cystic fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease, osteoporosis, and burn patients. However, human growth hormone has recently received a great deal of media attention because of the abundant abuse in athletes and individuals who use it specifically to reverse the effects of aging.

The use of human growth hormone for anti-aging has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), nor is it recommended by medical authorities. Its use for anti-aging purposes is considered human growth hormone abuse both by the patients who receive it and the medical professionals who provide it.

Another group prone to human growth hormone abuse is athletes. Athletes have been known to use human growth hormone to increase strength and lean muscle mass, while decreasing stored fat. While the evidence suggests that the larger muscles achieved through human growth hormone use are not necessarily stronger muscles, human growth hormone appears to be the drug of choice because there are no tests to diagnose its presence.

In use since the 1950s, anabolic (muscle-building) steroids were added to the list of athletically banned substances in 1975, after methods to detect these steroids became available. In recognition of the fact that illegal drug trafficking in anabolic steroids and human growth hormone was becoming larger in scope and presenting an increasing health risk to young athletes, Congress addressed the issue with two amendments; first in 1988 and then later in 1990. The purpose of both of these amendments was to criminalize steroid and human growth hormone trafficking.

Although there is no conclusive evidence that human growth hormone supplements can slow down the aging process, some people spend a considerable amount of money on human growth hormone supplements in their quest to find the fountain of youth. These supplements are claimed by some to increase muscle, decrease fat and boost an individual's stamina and sense of well-being.

Human growth hormone injections can have an annual cost of more than $15,000. Injectable human growth hormone supplements are available by prescription only and must be administered by a physician. Because injectable human growth hormone is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), physicians who prescribe them for any reason not approved by the FDA are in violation and could potentially spend up to five years in prison, along with paying a hefty fine. Therefore, individuals who are wish to reverse or slow-down the effects of aging, oftentimes turn to over-the-counter human growth hormone dietary supplements and oral sprays.

Some dietary supplements, known as human growth hormone releasers, are marketed as a low-cost alternative to human growth hormone injections. However, claims that these over-the-counter products reverse the aging process are unsubstantiated.

At least one epidemiological study suggests that people who have high levels of human growth hormone are more apt to die at younger ages than those with lower levels of the hormone. Other studies have suggested that human growth hormone supplements can increase the risk of cancer and cause complications in individuals with diabetes. Joint pain and carpal tunnel also may occur with the use of human growth hormone supplements.

Some of the more serious side effects of human growth hormone come from long-term abuse, such as that seen in athletic use. In this instance, the use of human growth hormone can lead to more pronounced, and sometimes deadly, side effects such as irregular heart rhythms, increased risk of diabetes, and joint and facial deformities.

When individuals consume more than the suggested dose of human growth hormone for an extended period of time, complicated side effects can arise. The liver has to work harder to process the human growth hormone circulating through your blood. This could lead to liver stress and ultimately, liver damage. Another potential side effect of human growth hormone abuse is as the body recognizes a higher level of HGH in the bloodstream; it will stop producing as much for itself. If this occurs, the pituitary glands begin to shut down.

For now, there is no convincing evidence that human growth hormone supplement will improve the health of those who do not have a profound deficiency of this hormone. The bottom line is that human growth hormone therapy should be used only in cases where human growth hormone deficiency is medically confirmed. In individuals that are deficient, human growth hormone replacement therapy can restore normal growth patterns in children and prolong life in adults. Any non-approved use is not backed up by scientific evidence and is illegal and considered human growth hormone abuse.