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Is Human Growth Hormone the Answer to Aging?
Reported by JoAnne Purtan
Web produced by Kelly Reynolds

	Darlene Soave is very happy with what human growth hormone has done for her, some a recent study cautions against use of HGH. Video For more information on HGH, visit National Institute on Aging

Some people searching for the fountain of youth are turning to the human growth hormone. But can it really turn back the hands of time?

The latest research shows human growth hormone, or HGH, has great promise, but at what price? Some are cautioning against the use of the hormone, while others swear by it.

Darlene Soave works out three to five days a week, she watches what she eats and takes dietary supplements, but at 59, she credits part of the youthful glow to human growth hormone.

"It made a big difference in the way that the way that I felt, the way that I looked, my skin texture, my structure of the muscles in my arms, in my body and my workout," Darlene said.

The human growth hormone is made by the pituitary gland. It stimulates the growth of tissue throughout the body, but the older we get, the less hormone we make.

"The chest drops and the waist increases. That is an increase in body fat, that is a decrease in lean body mass," said Dr. Edward Lichten.

Dr. Lichten, a Southfield doctor, has researched and championed human growth hormones for years. He has given injections to some 2,000 patients whose HGH levels are less than normal for their age.

"What I see in my patients is a change of one or two inches in their waistline in usually two to three months of therapy," Dr. Lichten said.

Sounds to good to be true? Researchers recently determined that HGH was too risky for people to use outside a controlled study. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, did find that HGH substantially increased lean body mass and decreased fat mass. But many participants experienced side effects, like joint pain, carpal tunnel, and an increased risk of diabetes.

That's why a Henry Ford endocrinologist says growth hormones are not yet the fountain of youth.

"What I would like to caution everyone is that it is a very promising potential beneficial affect, but it's not ready for primetime yet," said Dr. Sudhaker Rao.

But Dr. Lichten has a real problem with the JAMA study.

"The study doses used was way out of line. It was completely excessive. It was 10 times more than it needed to be."

And 10 times more than Dr. Lichten uses in patients like Darlene, who has never had a problem with the hormones.

"I have always felt wow, that I feel wonderful now, that I have a lot of energy, and I'm very happy I'm doing what I'm doing," Darlene said.

Shots of HGH can cost more than $15,000 a year, and they are only available by prescription from a doctor.



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