Should I take growth hormone?

Our read is that growth hormone has accepted medical uses, such as treating burn victims and individuals with growth hormone deficiencies, and can improve cosmetic appearance and body composition.

However, experts caution that chronically administered exogenous growth hormone at supraphysiological doses may increase the risk of cancer and heart disease, and can lead to other metabolic health problems.

While some experts note that humans with low levels of growth hormone or IGF-1 may live longer and be resistant to certain diseases, others point out that the pituitary's ability to resume endogenous growth hormone production after exogenous administration is flexible.

• 01Peter Attia notes that generic growth hormone preparations from China can cost around $150 for 100 IUs.
• 02Peter Attia states that growth hormone has accepted medical use in treating burn victims due to the catabolic nature of severe burns and the demand for tissue repair.
• 03Peter Attia, Andrew Huberman, Rhonda Patrick, and David Sinclair collectively observe that decreasing IGF-1 and growth hormone levels in mice, worms, and flies leads to a 50% extension in lifespan, while overexpressing them reduces lifespan by 50%.
• 04Andrew Huberman indicates that irregular bedtimes, especially going to sleep much later than usual, can cause individuals to miss the natural growth hormone pulse that occurs in the first 2-3 hours of sleep.
• 05Peter Attia mentions that GHRH drugs are often combined with GHS for synergistic GH release.
• 06Peter Attia notes that growth hormone levels drop significantly upon reaching adulthood and decrease precipitously with older age.
• 07Paul Saladino states that bodybuilders often use growth hormone or growth hormone-related peptides to achieve a shredded physique.
• 08Rhonda Patrick suggests that growth hormone may be a better intervention for muscle growth than injecting insulin.
• 09Peter Attia explains that somatostatin acts as a negative feedback mechanism on growth hormone production.
• 10Andrew Huberman reports that Dorian Yates believes there is not much danger associated with growth hormone use.
• 11Peter Attia states that growth hormone replacement is beneficial for individuals with growth hormone deficiencies.
• 12Peter Attia notes that IGF-1 has pro-lipogenic (fat storage) properties, which appears counterintuitive given that GH promotes lipolysis (fat breakdown).
• 13Peter Attia states that recombinant HGH suppresses the brain's natural production of all HGH variants.
• 14Andrew Huberman notes that constant, sustained levels of injected growth hormone can activate long-lived gene expression programs.
• 15Peter Attia mentions that bodybuilders aim for super-physiological IGF-1 levels, typically exceeding 500 ng/mL, using pharma-grade or generic GH.
• 16Rhonda Patrick and David Sinclair observe that humans with low levels of growth hormone or IGF-1, such as the Loren dwarfs, are relatively resistant to cancer and heart disease and may live longer.
• 17Peter Attia notes that the pituitary's ability to resume endogenous growth hormone production after exogenous growth hormone administration is flexible and quick.
• 18Andrew Huberman states that performance-enhancing substances like growth hormone, testosterone replacement therapy, GLP-1 receptor agonists, and retatrutide have moved from bodybuilding to Hollywood and then to the mainstream market since the 1980s.
• 19Peter Attia suggests that the escalation in bodybuilding physiques from the 1970s to the early 1990s was likely due to growth hormone and insulin abuse, alongside extreme steroid dosages and underground lab preparations.
• 20Peter Attia and Andrew Huberman note that human growth hormone can improve cosmetic appearance and body composition but may not enhance force production.
• 21Andrew Huberman states that Sermorelin is an FDA-approved peptide for short stature that is also prescribed off-label for other uses where augmenting growth hormone is beneficial.
• 22Peter Attia and Andrew Huberman note that IGF-1 has a half-life of days to a week, which is significantly longer than growth hormone's half-life of hours, allowing for sustained effects.
• 23Peter Attia states that growth hormone is the most abused drug in sports due to the lack of a reliable test, and an increased athlete mortality rate has not been observed.
• 24Peter Attia notes that natural peptides may be useful for individuals with adequate natural hormone production, providing all kilodalton and molecular mass variants of HGH.
• 25Andrew Huberman notes that some post-pubertal males use combinations of DHT analogs like oxandrolone and low-dose growth hormone to attempt to increase penile length, reporting some success.

Our read is that excess growth hormone can lead to heart failure, according to Paul Saladino. Andrew Huberman cautions that injecting excessively high levels of growth hormone can cause the growth of all tissues, including organs. Peter Attia notes that higher growth hormone levels correlate to shorter lifespans in dogs. Peter Attia and Andrew Huberman warn that chronically administered exogenous growth hormone at supraphysiological doses may propagate growth hormone-sensitive tumors. Peter Attia believes only growth hormone was an active agent in a trial with metformin and DHEA, and that his own poor glucose regulation may have been due to HGH use. Paul Saladino states that excess growth hormone can lead to insulin resistance, metabolic health problems, and increased cancer rates, and that bodybuilders consuming large amounts of animal protein, growth hormone, and male hormones often die younger. Andrew Huberman advises against the use of DHT derivatives and growth hormone for penile elongation in post-pubertal males. Peter Attia, Andrew Huberman, and David Sinclair collectively warn that long-term supplementation with human growth hormone may increase the risk of cancer and heart disease. Andrew Huberman notes that tumors can grow in response to elevated growth hormone levels. Bryan Johnson paused HGH therapy due to side effects. Peter Attia suggests that proponents of growth hormone replacement therapy may have financial incentives, making it difficult to discern its benefits. Andrew Huberman warns that augmenting growth hormone in teens or 20s can disrupt the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and other organs, potentially leading to infertility and depression. Peter Attia states that administering growth hormone to a child to increase height beyond their genetic potential carries unknown risks, potentially including compromised bone health and osteopenia. Paul Saladino presents Andre the Giant's death at age 46 from congestive heart failure, arthritis, chronic pain, and enlarged heart as consequences of excessive growth hormone. Peter Attia notes that addressing the safety concern of growth hormone requires long-term tracking of individuals susceptible to cancer. Peter Attia also suggests that growth hormone may increase the probability of small, existing cancers becoming clinically significant.

Our read is that the verdict would change with long-term tracking of individuals susceptible to cancer to address safety concerns, and further research clarifying the risks of administering growth hormone to children for height increase beyond genetic potential.