Growth Hormone

Produced in the pituitary gland, human growth hormone (hGH), also known as somatotropin, is a protein that has been gaining increased popularity. Until recently, this hormone was used strictly to treat dwarfism and underdeveloped children so they would return to a normal size range. With the cost of a year's worth of injections around $20,000 (TIME, 1996), there were few reasons to use it for anything besides that. However, new research has found a number of surprising effects of this hormone that may prove useful for human life extension.

Human growth hormone is responsible for building bones and muscle, helping heal wounds, and even strengthening the immune system (Bova, 2000). An underproduction of this hormone is associated with loss of muscle and accumulation of fat. While hGH is produced in large amounts in adolescents, its production decreases rapidly in adults, sometime as much as 15% in ten years (Bova, 2000). Based on these findings, scientists reasoned that the decrease in hGH production over time might have some effect on the aging process.

Dr. Daniel Rudman, at the Medical College of Wisconsin, performed one of the most famous studies on how human growth hormone affects aging. A group of male volunteers between the ages of 61 and 81 were injected with hGH three times per week for a period of six months. When compared to controls, the hGH-treated patients showed a significant increase in lean body mass, reduction of adipose tissue mass, and a 10% increase in skin thickness (Rudman, 1990). In other words, hGH not only stopped the ageing process, but actually reversed it in many cases. Increasing these hormonal levels over a long period of time might have a very beneficial effect on life extension.

Unfortunately, there are also negative effects that have been linked to human growth hormone. Increased levels of hGH have been associated with hypertension, diabetes, increased heart size, and joint problems. The cost of hGH is of course another problem. There are obviously barriers that must be surmounted before human growth hormone therapy can be effectively instituted, but for now, it appears to be a strong candidate for life extension.

References

Bova, Ben (2000) Immortality:How Science is Extending Your Lifespan and Changing the World. Avon Books.

Kluger, Jeffrey (1996) "Can We Stay Young?" TIME.

Rudman, D, A Feller, H Nagroj, G Gergans, P Lalotha, A Goldberg, R Schlanker,C Cohn, I Rudman, D Mattson (1990) "Effects of human growth hormone in men over 60 years old." New England Journal of Medicine.