January 31st, 2014 On January 31st, 2014, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a statement saying that it is investigating the risk of stroke, heart attack, and death in men taking FDA-approved testosterone products. Additional major updates to this topic are presented below in chronological order.   “We have been monitoring this risk and decided to reassess this safety issue based on the recent publication of two separate studies that each suggested an increased risk of cardiovascular events... read more

Testosterone Replacement Therapy Benefits: Testosterone Benefits Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in men with low testosterone has consistently shown to produce positive benefits with minimal side effects. Testosterone benefits include decreases in fat mass, increases in lean body mass, and increases in bone mineral density. Learn more about these specific positive benefits below. While significant positive benefits are associated with TRT, certain effects have not been conclusively established. While TRT is usually well tolerated as long as testosterone is kept within... read more

Human Growth Hormone and Aging Our bodies secrete human growth hormone (HGH) at their highest levels during puberty. However, beginning in early to mid-adulthood, HGH secretion decreases at an average rate of approximately 14% per decade.1 As a result, by late adulthood total HGH secretion is typically less than half of total HGH secretion in early adultood.2 The graph below shows typical growth hormone levels versus age. Somatopause The decline in HGH secretion that occurs with aging is often referred to... read more

HGH Benefits Before we elaborate on potential HGH benefits, it should be noted that HGH is not approved for anti-aging. Studies involving growth hormone therapy (GH therapy) in older men have shown significant side effects. In addition to these side effects, other major concerns exist with GH therapy in men without growth hormone deficiency. These concerns include the following: 1) the limited scale of studies, and 2) the unknown long-term link between HGH therapy and cancer or other diseases. While... read more

HGH Side Effects In the past two decades, HGH use for performance enhancement and anti-aging has exploded. Since aging is associated with declining growth hormone secretion, some individuals have hypothesized that these undesirable effects may partially be due to the decline in HGH production. Naturally, this assertion has spurred considerable interest in administering supplemental human growth hormone as a “treatment” for aging in humans. Although HGH is FDA approved for certain medical conditions, it is not approved for anti-aging. Additionally, studies... read more

HGH Side Effects In the past two decades, HGH use for performance enhancement and anti-aging has exploded. Since aging is associated with declining growth hormone secretion, some individuals have hypothesized that these undesirable effects may partially be due to the decline in HGH production. Naturally, this assertion has spurred considerable interest in administering supplemental human growth hormone as a “treatment” for aging in humans. Although HGH is FDA approved for certain medical conditions, it is not approved for anti-aging. Additionally, studies... read more

HGH therapy is FDA approved for HGH deficiency due to pituitary tumors. It is also approved for muscle-wasting disease associated with HIV/AIDS. However, it is not FDA approved for anti-aging, nor is it considered safe by the vast majority of the medical community to use for this purpose. While studies show that HGH therapy can positively alter body composition (by increasing muscle and decreasing fat), these same studies report significant adverse side effects. In addition to these side effects, other... read more

Our bodies secrete growth hormone (GH) at their highest levels during puberty. However, beginning in early adulthood (20s), GH secretion decreases at an average rate of about 15% per decade.1,2 As a result, by late adulthood total GH secretion is typically less than half of total GH secretion in early adulthood.3 In some cases, GH levels may decline by up to 50% every seven years in men.4 The graphic shows typical growth hormone levels versus age. In one study, 35%... read more

As a man ages, he loses muscle mass, typically about 0.5- 1.0% per year after the age of 40.1 These loses may seem very small, but by the age of 50 these losses add up to roughly a 5-10% loss in muscle mass. Additionally, this loss in muscle mass is typically accompanied by an increase in fat mass, especially abdominal fat. The term for the age-related decline in muscle mass is sacropenia. According to one study, approximately one in every... read more

Human Growth Hormone Therapy: Complex, Controversial Growth hormone therapy for adults is a highly complex and highly controversial subject. Opponents of HGH therapy demonize its use in humans, while proponents extol its benefits in counteracting the aging process. As with many controversial subjects, the truth exists somewhere in between these two extreme notions. The following articles attempt to provide a comprehensive, yet easy to understand explanation of growth hormone therapy in humans. All of the information provided is based on... read more