Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency: Is Treatment Necessary?

Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency: Is Treatment Necessary?

Hello. This is Hanaro Medical Foundation, your health checkup center in Jongno and Gangnam.

It is commonly thought that growth hormone is only necessary for children during their growing years. However, growth hormone plays a vital role in adults as well, including metabolic processes and vitality enhancement. If adults lack growth hormone, various metabolic abnormalities can occur. Today, Hanaro Medical Foundation will explore ‘Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency Symptoms and Treatment.’

Growth Hormone is Necessary for Adults Too

In children, growth hormone promotes height growth and plays an essential role in muscle and bone strength, as well as body fat distribution. Even after becoming an adult, growth hormone continues to function by increasing muscle mass and bone density, promoting fat breakdown, maintaining healthy brain function and blood sugar levels, and regulating lipid metabolism. Therefore, adults still require growth hormone.

✅ Brain: Maintaining healthy brain function

✅ Liver: Promoting the production of Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1)

✅ Bones and Muscles: Skeletal length growth, maintaining muscle mass and strength

What are the Symptoms of Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency?

When an adult is deficient in growth hormone, symptoms such as increased body fat, decreased muscle mass, osteoporosis, dyslipidemia, and increased insulin resistance may occur. Additionally, one may experience a drop in vitality in daily life, along with fatigue, anxiety, depression, lethargy, and sleep disorders.

✔ Fatigue, anxiety, or depression

✔ Decreased endurance and exercise capacity

✔ Decreased muscle mass and bone density

✔ Increased body fat in the abdomen and waist

✔ Increased insulin resistance

✔ Increased levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides

Causes of Adult Growth Hormone Deficiency

The causes of growth hormone deficiency in adults are mostly related to hypothalamus and pituitary gland diseases, though some cases remain idiopathic (unknown cause). Growth hormone deficiency from childhood may persist into adulthood, or secretion may decrease due to obesity or aging.

Is Growth Hormone Treatment Necessary for Adults?

Growth hormone supplementation in adults has the effect of reducing body fat, increasing muscle mass, and improving bone density. Growth hormone treatment for anti-aging purposes is not recommended for healthy adults; treatment is only advised after a diagnosis for those showing deficiency symptoms. Furthermore, growth hormone treatment cannot be administered to patients with cancer, acromegaly, or diabetic retinopathy.

This content is excerpted from a column by Dr. Eun-Jig Lee, an endocrinology specialist at Hanaro Medical Foundation, published in the May issue of ‘Healthy Life,’ a monthly magazine by the Korea Public Health Association. Please refer to the column below for more details.

👇👇👇

To strengthen the expertise of endocrine disease treatment, the Hanaro Medical Foundation Jongno Center has invited Professor Eun-Jig Lee, an authority on thyroid and pituitary diseases.

We provide medical services focusing on various hormone treatments, including hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism, thyroid tumors, pituitary and adrenal diseases, as well as anti-aging, childhood growth, thyroid hormones, adrenocortical hormones, and male hormones. We ask for your interest and support.

You can make an appointment with Dr. Eun-Jig Lee of the Department of Endocrinology more quickly and easily through Naver Reservation.

#HanaroMedicalFoundation #GrowthHormoneDeficiency #GrowthHormoneTreatment #HanaroMedicalFoundationJongnoCenter

Frequently Asked Questions

Do adults also need growth hormone?

Yes, growth hormone is essential for adults too. This is because even after becoming an adult, it plays an important role in various metabolic functions and vitality enhancement, such as increasing muscle mass and bone density, promoting fat breakdown, maintaining healthy brain function and blood sugar, and regulating lipid metabolism.

What are the main symptoms of adult growth hormone deficiency?

Increased body fat and decreased muscle mass are typical symptoms. In addition, osteoporosis, dyslipidemia, and increased insulin resistance may occur, and it may be accompanied by symptoms of decreased vitality in daily life, such as fatigue, anxiety, depression, lethargy, and sleep disorders.

What are the causes of growth hormone deficiency in adults?

Diseases of the hypothalamus and pituitary gland are the main causes. There are also cases where the cause is unknown, or a deficiency during growth continues into adulthood, or it may occur due to a natural decrease in growth hormone secretion due to obesity and aging.

Can I receive growth hormone treatment for anti-aging purposes?

No, treatment for anti-aging purposes is not recommended for healthy adults. Growth hormone supplementation is only recommended for those who show deficiency symptoms and have received an accurate diagnosis, and indiscriminate treatment should be avoided.

Are there any diseases for which growth hormone treatment cannot be received?

Yes, patients with certain diseases cannot receive growth hormone treatment. Growth hormone treatment is prohibited for cancer patients, acromegaly patients, and diabetic retinopathy patients, so consultation with a specialist is absolutely necessary.