Several things must happen for the human body to achieve homeostasis. One of those things is hormonal balance, which means having adequate levels and proportions of various hormones in the body. To better understand hormonal balance and how it contributes to homeostasis, we should probably familiarize ourselves with hormones.
The human body produces 50 hormones. These hormones, secreted by endocrine glands, are chemical messengers that regulate multiple bodily functions, keeping us healthy and alive. However, when someone develops a hormonal deficiency, the regulation of these functions can stop or become less efficient, disrupting homeostasis.
What More People Should Know About the Hormone-Secreting Glands in the Endocrine System
For those unfamiliar with the endocrine system, it is a network of glands and organs that produce hormones. The glands that make up the endocrine system include the pituitary, adrenal, thymus, pineal, parathyroid, and thyroid glands. It also comprises the pancreas, the testes in men, and the ovaries in women. After being secreted by their respective glands, hormones get released into the bloodstream. From there, they travel to target cells all over the body and bind to their receptors, which then carry out the hormone’s instructions. Those instructions regulate blood sugar, blood pressure, growth and fertility, sex drive, metabolism, sleep, and many other bodily functions. When someone develops a hormone deficiency, it interferes with the regulation of these critical functions by contributing to the following:
- Fewer hormones reaching target cells
- Diminished cellular response
- Reduced hormone-receptor interaction
- Lower circulating hormone levels
The Dangers of Low Human Growth Hormone Levels
Any hormone deficiency can negatively impact someone’s health, but some deficiencies are worse than others. That is especially true of growth hormone (HGH) deficiencies, a common hormonal imbalance affecting the lives of many adults in the U.S. According to an article published by Yahoo Finance, an estimated 6,000 American adults are diagnosed with low HGH levels or a full-on HGH deficiency annually. A separate National Institutes of Health (NIH) study indicated that approximately 50,000 American adults are currently growth hormone deficient. For some individuals, such a diagnosis puts them at a heightened risk of also being diagnosed with cardiovascular disease.
How Human Growth Hormone Deficiency Increases Cardiovascular Risk Factors
Having low growth hormone levels in one’s blood triggers several events that increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to data published by Oxford Academic, the academic research platform of Oxford University Press (OUP). These events include increased total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, increased triglycerides, and reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. And it does not end there; untreated human growth hormone deficiency in adults can lead to impaired glucose metabolism and high proinflammatory cytokine, C-reactive protein, and adipokine levels. Fortunately, before things spiral too far out of control, most people will experience low HGH symptoms that will prompt them to make lifestyle changes or schedule an appointment with a physician who can help them get their HGH levels where they need to be.
Common Human Growth Hormone Deficiency Symptoms
Several symptoms can point to a deficiency when the growth hormone levels in someone’s blood dip too low. According to several studies, including one from the renowned Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, symptoms commonly associated with low growth hormone levels include the following:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Feelings of isolation
- Increased abdominal fat
- Increased sensitivity to heat and cold
- Low libido
- Reduced bone density and increased risk of bone fractures
- Reduced muscle mass, strength, and stamina
What Causes HGH Deficiency?
Before discussing what causes some people to struggle with low growth hormone levels, let’s first clarify what constitutes healthy and normal growth hormone levels. According to most endocrinologists, healthy and normal growth hormone levels for men are between 0.4 to 10 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL) or 18 to 44 picomoles per liter (pmol/L). Between 1.0 and 14 ng/mL or 44 to 616 pmol/L is considered healthy for women. The primary contributor to low growth hormone levels in men and women is aging. After age 30, most men and women will experience a 15% reduction in human growth hormone production annually. This explains why most middle-aged men and women have a growth hormone deficiency of some kind. Along with aging, the following can also put men and women at high risk of suffering from a growth hormone deficiency:
- Trauma, tumors, or infections involving the hypothalamus
- Severe malnutrition
- Certain medications, such as corticosteroids
- Radiation therapy to the head or neck
- Mutations of the genes responsible for growth hormone production or release
Natural and Medicinal Ways To Increase Low Growth Hormone Levels
One of the things men and women can do to ramp up HGH production is to get more sleep. According to Frontiers, an open-access publisher of peer-reviewed scientific articles, during deep sleep, also known as slow wave sleep (SWS), the body produces and releases the most growth hormones. Therefore, getting the recommended 7 to 9 hours of deep, restorative sleep can benefit men and women who are growth hormone deficient. In addition to getting plenty of sleep each night, consuming a healthy, well-balanced diet, exercising regularly, and staying hydrated can also naturally boost low growth hormone levels.
For those with exceptionally low growth hormone levels, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is worth considering. This medicinal approach to boosting low growth hormone levels involves taking FDA-approved injectable drugs that help stimulate the pituitary and hypothalamus glands to secrete more human growth hormones. Commonly prescribed HGH injections for sale in the USA include Sogroya, Genotropin, Humatrope, and Serostim.
In summary, each year, thousands of people receive a growth hormone deficiency diagnosis. Such a diagnosis not only triggers an onslaught of unpleasant symptoms but also puts them at risk of developing heart disease. Fortunately, there are plenty of medicinal and all-natural treatments that can help people struggling with this specific hormonal imbalance.
