Growth Hormone No 'Magic Bullet' for Aging

Its side effects can be dangerous, researchers say.

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter
Monday, January 15, 2007; 12:00 AM

Copyright © 2007 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.

MONDAY, Jan. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Human growth hormone is being sold in increasing amounts as a cure-all for the ravages of aging, but new research shows no evidence for these claims -- and even possible dangers from the treatments.

So concludes a study from Stanford University researchers reported in the Jan. 16 Annals of Internal Medicine.

Growth hormone is widely promoted on the Internet and its use as an anti-aging drug has been touted in media ranging from NBC's Today show to Business Week.

However, Dr. Marc Blackman, clinical director of the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, who was not involved in the new study, said: "I'm concerned this is a substantial and growing problem. In an aging society, wanting to age healthfully and well has included the use of this very powerful hormone, the effectiveness and safety of which are still under investigation and have not been proved for this purpose."

The negative side effects of growth hormone include joint swelling and pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and a trend toward an increased risk of diabetes or pre-diabetes, according to the study.

"Human growth hormone is not the fountain of youth," said the study's lead researcher, Dr. Hau Liu, a research fellow in the division of endocrinology at Stanford's Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research.

Liu noted that as many as 30,000 people in the United States are taking growth hormone to try to stop the aging process. "They are spending anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars a month," he said. "They are spending this amount of money and getting only a slight, if any, benefit, but increasing the risk of serious side effects."

The researchers looked at 31 studies that included just 220 patients. "There is very little scientific evidence evaluating growth hormone for aging," Liu said. "This limited evidence suggests that there is very modest benefit and a potential for side effects."

Growth hormone caused small changes in body composition, such as a small gain in muscle mass and a small decrease in fat -- about 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds), Liu said. This is no more than you would get from moderate exercise, he noted.