Growth Hormones

[Viking]

Just wondering what tests can you ask for to get a check on your growth hormones. I'm not looking to do it, just wondering.

[chriseskew]

You just ask the doctor next time you have blood work done to check GH levels..But i noticed that you are only 24 Generaly they are not consired with GH # untill after 30..........

[dinoiii]

Just wondering what tests can you ask for to get a check on your growth hormones. I'm not looking to do it, just wondering.

Random blood GH levels will NOT be an accurate indicator of deficiency OR excess. As a screen, you could find more useful information from IGF-1 levels and/or IGFBP-3 (major IGF-binding protein).

Also, on a clinical level, we tend to look for:
[1] Fasting hypoglycemia when GH is in excess (this is low-blood sugar in the absence of food for people that don't like me using medical jargon).
[2] Increased body fat in deficiency
[3] High-pitched voice (deficiency)
[4] Suggestive clinical and bone faces when GH is in excess (like the acromegaly conditioning)

If screening comes back suggestive of an issue on deficiency, there are a whole slew of GH-stimulation tests that can be conducted (these will likely vary dependent upon the institute though...in the infancy my practice life, I have seen 7 different diagnostics used at this stage).


Overall, this is a much more loaded question than it may appear superficially.


D_

[Viking]

Random blood GH levels will NOT be an accurate indicator of deficiency OR excess. As a screen, you could find more useful information from IGF-1 levels and/or IGFBP-3 (major IGF-binding protein).

Also, on a clinical level, we tend to look for:
[1] Fasting hypoglycemia when GH is in excess (this is low-blood sugar in the absence of food for people that don't like me using medical jargon).
[2] Increased body fat in deficiency
[3] High-pitched voice (deficiency)
[4] Suggestive clinical and bone faces when GH is in excess (like the acromegaly conditioning)

If screening comes back suggestive of an issue on deficiency, there are a whole slew of GH-stimulation tests that can be conducted (these will likely vary dependent upon the institute though...in the infancy my practice life, I have seen 7 different diagnostics used at this stage).


Overall, this is a much more loaded question than it may appear superficially.


D_
Thanks D I understand it a whole lot more now. It just shows how little I know about the subject and need to read up on it to more effectively produce a question.