The prescription, distribution and sale of human growth hormone for alleged anti-aging aesthetic and athletic enhancement have been on a rampant rise. This is despite of the fact that potential risks far outweigh insignificant benefit in normally aging individuals as per Dr. Thomas Perls, Director of the New England Centenarian Study and an associate professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine.

It is worth noting here that the FDA issued an alert in January 2007 against illegal prescribing and distributing hGH for anti-aging and body building.

From Sciencedaily.com:

As stated on the Albany County District Attorney’s website, in the case of Operation Which Doctor, numerous governmental agencies are “working together to take down a nationwide distribution ring of anabolic steroids, Human Growth Hormones and other controlled substances, by targeting the ring’s dirty doctors, its distributors that pose as clinics, and ultimately the ring’s supplier Signature Pharmacy.”

Contrary to published claims, neither long-term safety nor health benefits have been demonstrated in normally aging individuals taking hGH. A review of clinical studies among healthy, normally aging individuals found that hGH supplementation does not significantly increase muscle strength or aerobic exercise capacity. However, documented adverse effects include soft tissue edema, arthralgias (joint pains), carpal tunnel-like syndrome, gynecomastia (enlarged breasts) and insulin resistance with an elevated risk of developing diabetes. Increasingly more and more animal and laboratory studies suggest an increased cancer risk.

It was suggested by the authors that several measures need to be implemented for addressing the inappropriate distribution and use of human growth hormone.

Tags: anabolic steroids, body building, HGH, human growth hormone, steroids

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