Benefits of testosterone, HGH on aging unclear

Many doctors today are prescribing testosterone and human growth hormone, or HGH, supplementation for their elderly patients to combat symptoms of aging.

In numerous studies of both treatments researchers found patients had increased lean body mass and decreased fat, but these benefits were offset by the rise of a host of other dangerous conditions. None of the symptoms the hormones allegedly treat improved.

Patients given testosterone had increased high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other physical conditions, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes, and a rise in the early symptoms of prostate cancer.

While testosterone treatments may help those with major deficiencies due to trauma to the testes or pituitary gland, the National Institute of Aging does not support its use as a supplement for the general population, given the risks and unknown effects long term. This large trial, currently underway, may show us more: www.ttrial.org.

The National Institute of Aging is also opposed to using HGH as an anti-aging treatment, because it increases the risks of obesity, heart failure, diabetes and cancer. It is also unclear whether the decline in HGH levels in older people is a protective mechanism designed to slow the development of age-related cancers.

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