Human Growth Hormone

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Human Growth Hormone, also known as HGH, increases the height in kids and adolescence.  It is also known to have other effects in the body like increased calcium retention which can help increase and strengthen the bone.  The hormone is also known to increase muscle mass with sarcomere hyperplasia.

This growth hormone also promotes lipolysis in humans.  It helps increase the synthesis of protein in the body and will help stimulate the growth of internal organs, except the brain.  The hormone plays a major role in the process of homeostasis.  It helps in the reduction of the body’s uptake of glucose.  Human Growth Hormone also helps promote gluconeogenesis in one’s liver.

This growth hormone in humans also contributes to the function and maintenance of pancreatic islets.  It can help stimulate the body’s immune system.  Though the hormone brings many positive effects to the body’s systems, it could also bring some negative effects if there is too much of it in one’s body.  One of the very common diseases attributed to excessive growth hormones in humans is the growth of pituitary tumour.

This tumor in the anterior pituitary called somatotroph adenomas are benign and will grow realteively slow, but could produce more and more growth hormones.  The adenoma grows large enough which eventually causes bad headaches, impairment of vision due to the pressure on the optic nerves and can sometimes cause other deficiencies in the other pituitary hormones due to the consequent displacement.

Prolonged excessive Human Growth Hormone will also have other physical effects like thickening of the jaw bone, toes and fingers.  The only way that this can be addressed is through surgery for the removal of the tumor.