New York — A review of studies that was published recently in the Annals of Internal Medicine concludes that human growth hormone (HGH) may not be the miracle anti-aging elixir that many have touted it as being — and that it could have serious side effects for regular users.
ABC News reports that the review suggests HGH provides few of the touted benefits for adults who are healthy — and that the side effects could jeopardize the health of regular HGH users. The study review says HGH has been associated with diabetes and pre-diabetic conditions.
The ABC News report states that despite the fact that it is illegal to distribute HGH as an anti-aging therapy in the United States (though it is FDA-approved for other medical indications), as many as 30,000 healthy American adults used HGH as for that purpose as recently as 2004.
The report says many consumers likely obtain HGH on-line or through their doctors, and adds that though HGH is beneficial to patients suffering from certain specific diseases, regular use can cause more harm than good in healthy individuals.
The ABC News report also says HGH proponents state that other research has shown HGH to be beneficial as an anti-aging therapy when used under proper clinical guidelines and in appropriate dosages.
