What to expect from hGH therapy
If you are diagnosed with Growth Hormone Deficiency of Adulthood, you may be prescribed hGH therapy. The amount of hGH we prescribe and the benefits you can expect depend on your starting level of IGF-I.
Once on therapy, the benefits we often see are as follows:
- Decreased fat mass, 10 to 14 percent after approximately 6 months, predominantly around the waist, without change in diet and exercise
- Increased lean muscle mass of approximately 7 to 10 percent in the first six months of therapy
- Improved bone density after one year of therapy, depending pre-treatment density
- Improved cardiac and lung function, lowered diastolic blood pressure
- Increased physical and mental energy level
- Increased hydration of the skin
- Accelerated wound healing
- Increased immune system functioning, including re-growth of the thymus (the gland important in the function of T-cells)
- Decreased total and LDL cholesterol levels, and increased HDL levels
- Improved sleep
- Improved vision
- Improved mood
The degree to which you see these improvements will depend on your level of growth hormone deficiency as measured by your IGF-I level and clinical exam. If your level is below 100 ng/ml, you will likely see significant changes in body composition in the first six months. If you have a higher level, the effect of the supplementation may be to prevent these age-related changes from occurring.
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