What Is Hgh Deficiency
Growth hormone deficiency is a condition caused by insufficient amounts of growth hormone in the body. Children with GHD have abnormally short stature. There can be any number of causes of GHD in children, from genetic disorders to any disease or condition that impacts the pituitary glands ability to produce HGH.
In adults, GHD can be a continuation of a growth hormone deficiency from childhood, or it can be the result of the natural decline of HGH as we age. In this case, it is referred to as adult-onset GHD, or Age-related GHD, both often abbreviated as AGHD.
Adult-onset growth hormone deficiency occurs when the pituitary gland fails to produce enough growth hormone. It can be successfully treated with growth hormone therapy. In younger adults, whose pituitary glands are functioning normally, it is a relatively uncommon condition. However, since your levels of HGH decline as you age, it is not uncommon for most adults between the ages of 45 and 65 to be experiencing some level of GHD.
In adults under 40, most cases of adult-onset GHD are caused by a disease or injury that impacts the pituitary gland. Most likely a pituitary tumor.
Pituitary damage can also be caused by:
- Radiation therapy to treat a pituitary tumor or other cancers
- Severe head injury
- Certain genetic conditions
- Child-onset growth hormone deficiency that continues into adulthood
Your HGH levels decline as you age, leading to age-related growth hormone deficiency.
Why Male Gender Is At A Higher Risk
Why does the disease affect men at twice the amount it affects women? The emerging trend is that men are much more likely to die of the disease than women. Data from China first revealed a gender gap in death rate with 64% of male patients dying compared to 36% of women, according to the Global Health 50/50 initiative. Figures from Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and the USA, have confirmed the pattern. In the two most affected European countries, 71% of the Covid-19 deaths in Italy were male, and in Spain, almost twice as many men as women have died .
GH circulates in the blood bound to a high-affinity binding protein . The liver is a major source of GHBP, which is derived from proteolytic cleavage of the extracellular domain of the GH receptor . GHBP alters the distribution and pharmacokinetics of GH and is likely to modulate GH action . Serum GHBP concentrations are significantly higher in women than in men .
Why Elderly People Are At A Higher Risk
Data from the World Health Organization reports that the disease affects elderly people much more than young people and children. This pattern is not common in most infectious diseases, which usually affect those age groups who are supposed to be still in the stage of building up their immunity more. For many communicable diseases, young adults and children are at greater risk, for instance, in the largest pandemic in recent history: During the Spanish flu in 1918, children and young adults were at the greatest risk for the pandemic .
On the contrary, data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention report that children under 19 years of age constitute 2% of the total number of Covid-19 cases recorded by February 20, 2020. A very small percentage of those patients aged under 19 years have suffered severe or critical disease . On the other hand, severity and case fatality of COVID-19 progressively increased with advancing age. The recorded increase in severity with age is reflected in case reports, in which the mean age was in the range of 5060 years .
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What Is Dihydrotestosterone
Dihydrotestosterone is a hormone that stimulates the development of male characteristics . It is made through conversion of the more commonly known androgen, testosterone. Almost 10% of the testosterone produced by an adult each day is converted to dihydrotestosterone, by the testes and prostate , the ovaries , the skin and other parts of the body. This figure is much lower before puberty however, and it is thought that the increased dihydrotestosterone production may be responsible for the start of puberty in boys, causing development of the genitals and growth of pubic and body hair. This hormone also causes the prostate to grow and is thought to combine with testosterone causing the expression of male sexual behaviour. Dihydrotestosterone is many times more potent than testosterone, and many of the effects that testosterone has in the body only happen after it is converted to dihydrotestosterone.
Less is known about the importance of dihydrotestosterone in women, but it is known to cause much of the body and pubic hair growth seen in girls after puberty and may help to determine the age at which girls begin puberty.
Growth Hormone For Children
Some children lack sufficient natural growth hormone to grow to their full height. Taking synthesised growth hormone can help them reach their full height. For example, children may be prescribed human growth hormone in cases of poor growth due to growth hormone deficiency, Turners syndrome, and kidney failure.However, research suggests that a child with normal levels of growth hormone, who takes the synthesised version, will not grow any taller than they would have naturally, unless they take very large amounts.Children who are experiencing stunted or slowed growth should have their natural growth hormone levels checked by medical professionals before they are prescribed any medication for their condition.
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What Is The Function Of Human Growth Hormone
Human growth hormone has two main functions: stimulating growth and impacting metabolism .
hGH and growth
Human growth hormone triggers growth in nearly every tissue and organ in your body. However, its most well-known for its growth-promoting effect on cartilage and bone, especially in the adolescent years during puberty. Cells in cartilage called chondrocytes and cells in bones called osteoblasts receive signals from hGH to increase replication and thus allow for growth in size.
Once the growth plates in a childs bones have fused, hGH no longer increases height. Instead, hGH helps to maintain normal body structure throughout the rest of your life.
hGH and metabolism
Metabolism consists of the chemical reactions in your body that change the food you eat into energy. All of the cells in your body need energy to function properly. Several different complex processes are involved in metabolism.
hGH impacts metabolism primarily by increasing the production of insulin-like growth factor-1 and its effect on cells in your body. IGF-1 is a hormone similar in structure to insulin that manages the effects of hGH in your body. Insulin is an essential hormone your pancreas makes that helps regulate your blood sugar levels by decreasing them. Like insulin, IGF-1 has glucose-lowering effects.
Growth Hormone And Cancer Risk
The use of GH, especially in non-GHD persons, has raised safety concerns regarding the cancer risk because IGF-I has potent mitogenic and antiapoptotic effects. However, the results of epidemiological, experimental, and observational studies are ambiguous. A number of biases and confounders affect the interpretation of data . Nevertheless, the concern of cancer risk associating administration of r-HGH is related to long-term therapy, especially in children with GHD and in particular, those who recovered from malignancy for fear of recurrence.
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What Exactly Is Hgh
HGH is a hormone. That means that like all hormones, it is one of your bodys chemical messengers. The technical, or biological term for growth hormone is somatotropin. HGH stimulates and regulates the growth and lifecycle of just about every cell of your body. Therefore, HGH is vitally important to build muscle and bone, and to allow a child to literally grow from the size and physical strength of a baby, to a toddler, to a young child, to a teen, and finally to a fully grown adult. Therefore, as you might imagine, throughout your childhood as you continue to grow and mature, your levels of HGH rise progressively, eventually peaking around puberty when the most radical growth spurts and physical changes take place.
The technical, or biological term for growth hormone is somatotropin. HGH stimulates and regulates the growth and lifecycle of just about every cell of your body.
Regulation Of Growth Hormone
The formation of growth hormone is regulated by the releasing hormone called somatocrinin along with inhibiting hormone called somatostatin, which is released by the neurosecretory nuclei of the hypothalamus.
These regulating hormones are liberated in the hypophysial portal blood that surmounts the pituitary gland. The release of a hormone in the pituitary is monitored by these two hormones that are affected by many external inhibitory factors.
Various factors stimulate the release of growth hormone, which includes:
- Ghrelin acts by linking to GHSR .
- The growth hormone-releasing hormone acts by linking to GHRHR .
- Sex hormones like estrogen and androgens stimulate the secretion of growth hormone at the time of puberty.
To know more about growth hormone, types of growth hormone, growth hormone function, or any other related topics, explore @
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Medical Uses Of Human Growth Hormone
Growth hormone is used to treat children who are not growing or are very short and adults with growth hormone deficiency.
If your child needs treatment with HGH, the Australian government will cover the cost.
If your child needs treatment with HGH, the Australian government may cover the cost. You can check whether your child is eligible on the Services Australia website.
Honorable Mention: Zinc And Penis Health
As the science behind penis enlargement continues to evolve, more pieces of the puzzle are still appearing.
One such piece, and one we feel deserves an honorable mention here, is a common element and essential mineral that can be found in animal proteins, seeds and nuts.
Though important to our health in a lot of ways, Zinc also serves a major sexual function.
Its already been well established that Zinc deficiencies can lead to low testosterone.
However, what isnt commonly discussed is some of the symptoms associated with those low testosterone levels.
One that we absolutely must discuss is called penile atrophy, which is the technical term for a shrinking of the penis caused by a loss of penile tissue.
Luckily, Zinc has proved to be remarkably effective at increasing the amount of free testosterone in the body.
This testosterone is, of course, essential to sexual function and to avoiding penile issues similar to those stated above.
Though less likely to contribute to growth to the degree that Vitamins D and K do, Zinc is definitely worth considering for its contribution to penis health.
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Does Testosterone Make Your Penis Bigger
Does testosterone make your penis bigger? Considering popping testosterone supplements and wondering, can testosterone increase penis size? In this quick guide, well discuss how testosterone impacts penile development through the lifespan. Well also discuss whether supplemental testosterone can increase the size of your penis.
Ways To Boost Human Growth Hormone Naturally
Human growth hormone is an important hormone produced by your pituitary gland.
Also known as growth hormone , it plays a key role in growth, body composition, cell repair, and metabolism .
HGH also boosts muscle growth, strength, and exercise performance, while helping you recover from injury and disease .
Low HGH levels may decrease your quality of life, increase your risk of disease, and make you gain fat (
3 ).
Those with higher levels of belly fat will likely have impaired HGH production and an increased risk of disease.
One study observed that those with three times the amount of belly fat as the control group had less than half their amount of HGH .
Another study monitored the 24-hour release of HGH and found a large decline in those with more abdominal fat.
Interestingly, research suggests that excess body fat affects HGH levels more in men. However, lowering body fat is still key for both genders .
Whats more, a study found that people with obesity had lower levels of HGH and IGF-1 a growth-related protein. After losing a significant amount of weight, their levels returned to normal .
Belly fat is the most dangerous type of stored fat and linked to many diseases. Losing belly fat will help optimize your HGH levels and other aspects of your health.
Summary
Get rid of excess body fat especially around your belly to optimize your HGH levels and improve your health.
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What Happens If I Have Too Much Growth Hormone
Not surprisingly, too much growth hormone causes too much growth. In adults, excessive growth hormone for a long period of time produces a condition known as acromegaly, in which patients have swelling of the hands and feet and altered facial features. These patients also have organ enlargement and serious functional disorders such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Over 99% of cases are due to benign tumours of the pituitary gland, which produce growth hormone. This condition is more common after middle-age when growth is complete so affected individuals do not get any taller.
Very rarely, increased growth hormone levels can occur in children before they reach their final height, which can lead to excessive growth of long bones, resulting in the child being abnormally tall. This is commonly known as gigantism .
Overproduction of growth hormone is diagnosed by giving a sugary drink and measuring the growth hormone level over the next few hours. The sugar should cause growth hormone production to reduce. However, this does not happen in acromegaly.
What Are The Side Effects
There are several side effects that may go along with hGH use. These side effects are possible with the prescribed version, as well as an illicit form of hGH since the content isnt completely known and regulated. Side effects may affect older adults more than younger people. The long-term effects of hGH arent known.
Possible side effects of excess hGH injections include:
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The Role Of Growth Hormone In Immunity
Studies suggest that endocrine and neuroendocrine systems greatly influence the immune system . GH has an important role in the development of the immune system and may enhance the growth of the thymus gland which is responsible for the production of immune cells called T cells, the mediator of cell-mediated immunity . GH is also produced by lymphoid organs, such as the thymus, the spleen, and immune cells . Besides, clinical studies have suggested a significant role of GH in immune regulation, and the GH receptor is expressed on different subpopulations of lymphocytes . GH stimulates T and B cell proliferation and immunoglobulin formation. It enhances the maturation of myeloid progenitor cells and is also able to modulate cytokine response . A clinical study in 2012, demonstrated that lower circulating levels of IGF1 were associated with incidence and mortality from adult respiratory distress syndrome . These data support the role of the IGF pathway in ARDS . Having an immune-regulatory effect in addition to their anabolic effects, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 , may act to protect the host from lethal bacterial infection as well. The hormones promote the maturation of myeloid cells, stimulate phagocyte migration, prime phagocytes for the production of superoxide anions and cytokines and enhance the opsonic activity .
Can You Increase Size With Surgery
There is a surgical procedure, known as penoplasty, that can add some length to a flaccid penis, but it doesnt affect the length of an erect penis. It involves cutting a ligament that attaches the penis to the pubic bone. This procedure can cause your erection to not point as high as it did before the procedure.
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Maintaining Your Growth Hormone Levels With Hgh Replacement Therapy
If your growth hormone level is determined to be below normal, depending on your age, gender and symptoms you will likely be prescribed growth hormone injections. Growth hormone injections are used to treat GHD in children and adults.
Growth hormone injections are only available with a doctors prescription. There are many anti-aging benefits of HGH replacement therapy. One of the main benefits of growth hormone replacement, is that it will improve your ability to burn fat and build lean muscle. This benefit alone will go a long way to making you look and feel younger.
However, the many benefits of HGH do not stop there. HGH therapy:
- Improves the rejuvenation of skin cells, resulting in healthier younger looking skin.
- Helps you to get deeper and more satisfying sleep, resulting in improved brain functioning, better focus, more energy, and better moods.
- Improves sex drive and sexual performance.
- Improves heart health and strengthens your immune system.
HGH therapy is a safe and effective way to treat lower than normal HGH levels.
Now that you know a bit more about normal and low HGH levels, why not contact us today, and find out more about the many life-changing benefits of HGH and other hormone replacement therapies.
Reduce Your Sugar Intake
An increase in insulin is associated with lower HGH levels.
Refined carbs and sugar raise insulin levels the most, so reducing your intake may help optimize growth hormone levels .
One study found that healthy people had 34 times higher HGH levels than those with diabetes, as well as impaired carb tolerance and insulin function .
Along with directly affecting insulin levels, excess sugar intake is a key factor in weight gain and obesity, which also affect HGH levels.
That said, the occasional sweet treat will not impact your HGH levels in the long term.
Aim to achieve a balanced diet, as what you eat has a profound effect on your health, hormones, and body composition.
Summary Elevated insulin levels may reduce HGH production. Therefore, limit your intake of large amounts of sugar and refined carbs.
Given that most meals cause a rise in insulin levels, some experts suggest avoiding food before bedtime .
In particular, a high-carb or high-protein meal may spike your insulin and potentially block some of the HGH released at night .
Keep in mind that insufficient research exists on this theory.
Nevertheless, insulin levels normally decrease 23 hours after eating, so you may wish to avoid carb- or protein-based meals 23 hours before bedtime.
Summary More research is needed on the effects of nighttime eating on HGH. Still, it may be best to avoid food 23 hours before bed.
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