Growth Hormone Deficiency
Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a fairly uncommon medical condition in which the body does not produce sufficient growth hormone. Growth hormone, also referred to as somatotropin or HGH, stimulates cell growth and reproduction in the body. Lack of growth hormone during childhood or adolescence can result in hypoglycemia and stunted growth. In adults, it can cause loss of muscle or inhibit muscle development, psychological conditions, and decreased bone density.This deficiency can be both congenital (inherited at birth) or develop in adolescence or later stages of life.
Signs & Symptoms
The onset of GHD is most often caused by tumors in the pituitary or damage to the pituitary in the brain. The most common recognized symptoms include:
- Reduced muscle mass
- Reduced bone mass
- Loss of memory
- Cardiac dysfunction
- Increased fibrinogen levels
- Lipid abnormalities
Causes
There are a variety of causes of GHD ranging from mutations of specific genes, congenital malformations and diseases, tumors, pituitary damage, etc.
