Growing Younger With Hormones?
Medical science is as close as it's ever been to conquering aging,
and the 'fountain of youth' -- if there actually is one -- comes in the
form of a hormone.
GHR-15 (Growth Hormone Releaser) is being touted as the 'fountain of
youth' and the medical discovery of the century. Is there any basis to the
hype? Does this product do anything measurable to improve health and
delay aging?
Sept. 25, 2001 -- Medical science is as close as it's ever been to
conquering aging, and the "fountain of youth" -- if there actually is one --
comes in the form of a hormone. Human growth hormone (HGH), produced
in the body by the pituitary gland, is plentiful during childhood and
adolescence, but its levels decrease dramatically as we age.
Numerous scientific studies have shown that restoring levels of HGH in
aging individuals can have dramatic effects. One landmark study,
published in 1990 in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that 12
men who took HGH had an increase in lean muscle and bone density and
a decrease in fat, while nine men who didn't take it experienced none of
these changes.
Most of these scientific studies used pharmaceutical grade, injected HGH,
a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Doctors have been
prescribing it for years to those willing to pay the price -- treatments for a
year can cost from $3,000 to $10,000.
Now, a new generation of products sold via the Internet and in health
stores as dietary supplements, and therefore not regulated as drugs by the
FDA, claim to produce the same effects at a fraction of the price -- about
$1,000 per year. These are formulations of amino acids that allegedly
trigger the release of HGH in the body. One such product is GHR-15,
although there are many other "growth hormone releasers" on the market.
The idea behind these growth hormone releasers is actually based on
scientific studies showing that certain amino acids can trigger the
production of HGH from the pituitary. But consumers should be cautious,
says Ronald Klatz, MD, president of the American Academy of Anti-Aging
Medicine, a society of more than 7,000 physicians and scientists involved
in anti-aging research. These formulations of amino acids have to be very
specific, and it is unclear whether many of the products out there are using
the correct type and combination of these compounds, says Klatz. Clinical
studies proving effectiveness are lacking. One manufacturer acknowledges
that he had no studies; another says clinical studies have begun in Brazil.
"There is tremendous science and validity behind HGH research," Klatz
says. "The problem comes when marketeers make unsubstantiated
promises." Some claim their products are equal to pharmaceutical grade
HGH. According to Klatz, "It's like saying that a race car has four wheels
and travels 200 mph, so a matchbox car can also travel that fast because
it has four wheels."
Edward Lichten, MD, senior attending physician at Providence Hospital in
Southfield, Mich., treats many patients in his private practice with injected
HGH. When Lichten followed some of his patients who used four of the
health food store products, he could see no improvement in their
symptoms or their blood levels of HGH.
Before buying from a health food store or via the Internet, Klatz advises,
ask if the company has solid scientific evidence published in reputable
medical journals about the product's effectiveness.
Medical science is as close as it's ever been to conquering aging,
and the 'fountain of youth' -- if there actually is one -- comes in the
form of a hormone.
GHR-15 (Growth Hormone Releaser) is being touted as the 'fountain of
youth' and the medical discovery of the century. Is there any basis to the
hype? Does this product do anything measurable to improve health and
delay aging?
Sept. 25, 2001 -- Medical science is as close as it's ever been to
conquering aging, and the "fountain of youth" -- if there actually is one --
comes in the form of a hormone. Human growth hormone (HGH), produced
in the body by the pituitary gland, is plentiful during childhood and
adolescence, but its levels decrease dramatically as we age.
Numerous scientific studies have shown that restoring levels of HGH in
aging individuals can have dramatic effects. One landmark study,
published in 1990 in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that 12
men who took HGH had an increase in lean muscle and bone density and
a decrease in fat, while nine men who didn't take it experienced none of
these changes.
Most of these scientific studies used pharmaceutical grade, injected HGH,
a drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Doctors have been
prescribing it for years to those willing to pay the price -- treatments for a
year can cost from $3,000 to $10,000.
Now, a new generation of products sold via the Internet and in health
stores as dietary supplements, and therefore not regulated as drugs by the
FDA, claim to produce the same effects at a fraction of the price -- about
$1,000 per year. These are formulations of amino acids that allegedly
trigger the release of HGH in the body. One such product is GHR-15,
although there are many other "growth hormone releasers" on the market.
The idea behind these growth hormone releasers is actually based on
scientific studies showing that certain amino acids can trigger the
production of HGH from the pituitary. But consumers should be cautious,
says Ronald Klatz, MD, president of the American Academy of Anti-Aging
Medicine, a society of more than 7,000 physicians and scientists involved
in anti-aging research. These formulations of amino acids have to be very
specific, and it is unclear whether many of the products out there are using
the correct type and combination of these compounds, says Klatz. Clinical
studies proving effectiveness are lacking. One manufacturer acknowledges
that he had no studies; another says clinical studies have begun in Brazil.
"There is tremendous science and validity behind HGH research," Klatz
says. "The problem comes when marketeers make unsubstantiated
promises." Some claim their products are equal to pharmaceutical grade
HGH. According to Klatz, "It's like saying that a race car has four wheels
and travels 200 mph, so a matchbox car can also travel that fast because
it has four wheels."
Edward Lichten, MD, senior attending physician at Providence Hospital in
Southfield, Mich., treats many patients in his private practice with injected
HGH. When Lichten followed some of his patients who used four of the
health food store products, he could see no improvement in their
symptoms or their blood levels of HGH.
Before buying from a health food store or via the Internet, Klatz advises,
ask if the company has solid scientific evidence published in reputable
medical journals about the product's effectiveness.
