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Abnormal Growth Hormone Levels

Height is one of the means used to categorize people. For instance, someone might say, "I remember the short lady in the front row." Height is also used as a means for categorizing the clothes people wear, as is evident when pants are marked "short," "medium" or "long." The height a person reaches is determined by levels of hormones, particularly the human growth hormone (HGH). Sometimes these hormone levels can be abnormal.

  1. Multiple Hormones

    • The main hormone related to human growth is the human growth hormone, also known as somatrotropin. However, other hormones such as androgens and estrogens also affect growth. Problems with growth thus may indicate a problem other than with HGH.

    Causes

    • Most often, problems with abnormal growth hormone levels lead back to an issue with the pituitary gland. This gland is responsible for the production of HGH and other growth hormones the body uses. However, other issues can affect growth hormone levels, such as improper diet.

    Low Level/Absence of Hormone

    • A deficiency or absence of HGH typically results in short stature. Whether a person has a deficiency or absence of HGH may be determined by when growth is delayed. Individuals who have an absence of HGH are not as long at birth. Those with a deficiency have normal birth lengths, but have delayed postnatal growth.

    High Levels of Hormone

    • Too much HGH is the cause of two major growth abnormalities. The first is giantism, in which a person can grow to heights over 8 feet. The second abnormality is acromegaly. Acromegaly is the result of excess HGH production that occurs in adulthood. Its hallmark is large facial structures.

    Metabolic Considerations

    • Growth hormone levels primarily have an impact on the growth of bone tissue, but they also have a metabolic effect on tissue and can fluctuate from day to day. Symptoms of abnormal growth hormone levels therefore may have an adverse impact on an individual in ways not necessarily connected just to height alone.

    Treatments

    • Treatments are available for those who do not produce enough HGH. The main treatment involves injections of rHGH, which is a synthetic version of HGH made from genetically altered cells. The use of this treatment is not without debate, as some individuals feel that users of rHGH are altering what is supposed to occur naturally.

    Assessment

    • Assessment for the use of rHGH involves several principles. First, it must be determined the data related to the rate of growth of the individual is accurate. Secondly, the fact that growth often occurs in spurts and that a single growth measurement by itself has little meaning must be taken into consideration. Lastly, it is acknowledged that the amount of time needed to determine whether growth is abnormal can be subjective and is hard to figure out. Each case of assessment thus has to be considered carefully before a physician can say for sure that treatments are needed.

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