Recent Blog Articles
Can blue light-blocking glasses improve your sleep?
Skills children need to succeed in life — and getting youngsters started
Thinking about COVID booster shots? Here’s what to know
Cancer survivors' sleep is affected long after treatment
Do I have to yell so much?
What to do when elective surgery is postponed
What happened to trusting medical experts?
Stuttering in children: How parents can help
Icy fingers and toes: Poor circulation or Raynaud’s phenomenon?
Evoking calm: Practicing mindfulness in daily life helps
Human growth hormone
Touted as an anti-aging agent, athletes and others are taking human growth hormone to build up muscle and lose fat.
Human growth hormone (HGH) has several legitimate medical uses. It's a treatment for dwarfism in children and Turner's syndrome, a genetic disorder affecting girls that is caused by a missing or incomplete X chromosome. On an experimental basis, it's been used successfully to treat children who have been badly burned and AIDS patients with excessive abdominal fat.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
Free Healthbeat Signup
Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!
