We hear a lot about human growth hormone and its use as an anti aging tool, but did you know that human growth hormone can be used to treat cystic fibrosis symptoms.
While HGH is used successfully in the treatment of cystic fibrosis it’s overall impact on the disease is still unclear according to and HHS’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) report.
What is Cystic Fibrosis?
Cystic fibrosis is a chronic multi organ disease that is inherited. It is caused by a defective gene, that causes the body to produce thick mucus that lands up clogging the lungs and leading to lung infections that can be life threatening. Cystic fibrosis also makes it hard for the pancreas to work properly and therefore food absorption is hampered.
Cystic fibrosis usually is diagnosed in early childhood. Recent screening improvements can now detect cystic fibrosis shortly after birth. In the United States it afflicts about 30,000 adults and children.
In the 1950s, very few children with cystic fibrosis lived long enough to go to elementary school. Advances in treatments have seen the average survival age at 37 years old. That’s significant improvement.
Common Signs of Cystic Fibrosis
Common signs of cystic fibrosis include difficulty breathing, salty tasting skin, poor weight gain, shorter height, and chronic lung infections. Typically the disease is detected in childhood. The patient’s growth is stunted and it usually leads to an early death.
Researchers Find HGH Improves Symptoms
The report, Effectiveness of Recombinant Human Growth Hormone (rhGH) in the Treatment of Patients with Cystic Fibrosis, finds that the use of human growth hormone increases height and weight, may strengthen the bones of patients with cystic fibrosis, and may improve lung functions.
Researchers found evidence that indicated the use of human growth hormone therapy may reduce the need for hospitalization. However, there was no evidence that HGH therapy improved quality of life or extended life. The researchers did note that HGH could raise blood sugar, which over time had to potential to lead to diabetes in some patients.
“Patients with cystic fibrosis and their families have long looked for ways to manage this disease,” said AHRQ Director Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D. “This report gives patients and their families excellent information that they can use, in consultation with their doctors, to make decisions about care.”
Study #1
The University of Connecticut/Hartford Hospital Evidence-based Practice Center for AHRQ, produced the research. This is a leading federal agency that conducts numerous patient-centered outcomes research. The journal Pediatrics published the results of the report online.
The study examined children and teenagers with cystic fibrosis (CF) in the 1990s who received daily HGH injections and found that they grew 1.25 inches higher and weighed 3 pounds more than children with CF who did not receive HGH injections.
Researchers also looked at the published results from 53 unique studies examining the effect of human growth hormone in patients with and without cystic fibrosis.
Study #2
Medline and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from the earliest date through April 2010. Randomized controlled trials, observational studies, systematic reviews/meta-analyses, or case reports were included if rhGH therapy was administered to patients with CF and data on prespecified harms, intermediate outcomes, or final health outcomes were reported. When applicable, end points were pooled by using a random-effects model. The overall body of evidence was graded for each outcome as insufficient, low, moderate, or high.
The study concluded that the HGH improved almost all intermediate measures of pulmonary function, height, and weight in patients with CF. Improvements in bone mineral content are also promising. However, with the exception of hospitalizations, the benefits on final health outcomes were not determined.
Other Conditions Human Growth Hormone is Used to Treat
Human growth hormone is used to treat a number of conditions, HGH deficient children, chronic kidney failure, growth hormone deficiency, HIV, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Prader-Willi syndrome, Turner syndrome, IBD, and a number of other conditions.
Human growth hormone therapy requires that patients inject the medication every day for several months.
Common Uses of HGH
Common uses of HGH include:
- Weight loss
- Belly fat loss
- Lean muscle mass
- Increased energy
- Increased libido
- Decreased wrinkles
- Stronger bones
- Better cardio function
- Stop aging and even reverse aging
Taking an HGH supplement is generally adequate to enjoy the benefits from using human growth hormone. However because we are dealing with a severe medical condition only HGH injections are used in the treatment of cystic fibrosis and only under the supervision of a physician.
Another medical breakthrough! It is always great to hear about news like this. I was wondering though about HGH supplements- can I just get the over the counter or would I need a prescription from a pro?