Growth Hormone Deficiency

Growth Hormone Deficiency

The Endocrine System and Hormones

About Growth Hormone

  • 191-amino acid, single-chain polypeptide
  • Secreted by somatotropic cells located in the lateral wings of the anterior pituitary gland.
  • Increases glucose and free fatty acid levels.
  • Stimulates production of IGF-1 (Insulin-like growth factor)

What causes adult-onset growth hormone deficiency?

Growth hormone deficiency in adults or AGHD (adult-onset growth hormone deficiency) develops out of the reduced secretion of ones natural growth hormone.

Growth hormone is extremely important throughout our lives, and the depletion of GH is very noticeable, particularly in those reaching midlife. Low levels of growth hormone dramatically reduce one’s quality of life for it is the hormone responsible for maintenance and repair during adulthood.

For grown adults who are experiencing growth hormone deficiency, the natural repair and regenerative healing that was experienced in their youth is lost. Bones and muscle quickly lose their mass, leaving the body and its frame particularly vulnerable to injury and falls. An increased rate of injury occurs as a result of this fragility, of which most people start to see a decline in both their health and lifestyle. Each new injury comes with it, further downtime, less muscular usage and limited mobility which in turn increases the risk of future accidents and falls. Injuries that are sustained have the potential to cripple those with growth hormone deficiency, weakening their constitution till they can no longer be independent or achieve mobility.

Growth hormone deficiency typically starts to occur around the age of 30 years of age. Significant drops in growth hormone occur at this time. What follows is the onset of menopause and andropause in males. It has been theorised that most if not all of the symptoms of ageing experienced in human beings, has a direct link to this deficiency in growth hormone.

Growth hormone deficiency in adults contributes to earlier death.

The reduced GH levels causes:

Reduction in bone mass density

A decrease in muscle mass (sarcopenia)

What are the symptoms of AGHD? (Adult Onset Growth Hormone Deficiency)

If you are concerned about your declining growth hormone levels, take a look at the following questions to determine your status.

Do I have growth hormone deficiency?

  • Have I lost muscle mass in the past few years?
  • Do I have less endurance or muscular strength?
  • Do I take a longer time to recover from physical activity?
  • Do I have skin wounds or muscular strains that are taking much longer to heal than usual?
  • Have I experienced any hair loss from my body or scalp?
  • Is my skin becoming thin and wrinkled?
  • Do I have fat storage around my waist that is hard to remove?
  • Do I have fat storage around my knees that is hard to remove?
  • Do I have trouble with my memory?
  • Has my thinking speed decreased?
  • Has my sleep quality declined?
  • Do I feel less motivated to join others socially?
  • Do I feel a general sense of fatigue, despite having had a full nights rest?

These are symptoms of a disease. If you answered yes to a number of these questions, it is possible you are already experiencing growth hormone deficiency. To know for sure if this is the case, you can order a simple test which will provide information on your growth hormone status. We offer a blood test that can be taken before the use of GH releasing products. Though it is not mandatory to take this blood test, we strongly suggest you do. This is not only for your health and safety, but it will give the doctor a starting point from which to monitor your levels throughout treatment. It ensures the success of your peptide treatment program – which is what we all want to achieve.

At Peptide Clinics South Africa, you are in good hands. We have on board a highly qualified hormone doctor who is well aware of the symptoms of AGHD and has been treating growth hormone deficiency successfully for many years.

What does the doctor suggest I do if I am concerned about my GH levels?

BLOOD TEST: This will supply you with an accurate reading of your current GH levels.

REVIEW: The doctor will review your choice of peptide and evaluate its purpose alongside that of your goals for peptide use. The pathology outcome will be considered whereby the doctor can then determine the correct dosage for your peptide treatment.

FOLLOW UP BLOOD TEST: Follow up tests are necessary for those with adult-onset growth hormone deficiency, as they will highlight the level of improvement in your bloodwork.

CAUTION: One must understand that GH-releasing peptides are not the same as steroids. A “less is more” attitude will grant patients access to peak performance of growth hormone. The abuse of growth hormone and overdosing leads to unwanted side effects. For some who abuse growth hormone, this may result in the inability to naturally release growth hormone, accelerating symptoms of ageing and degeneration.

We want you to achieve your goals; thus we ask you to trust the expertise of our doctor in dosing for optimal treatment.

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What are Endocrine Disruptors?

What are Endocrine Disruptors?

What are Endocrine Disruptors?

The Endocrine System and Hormones

Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals

 
Endocrine disruptors are toxins, chemicals and poisons, as well as naturally occurring compounds that interfere with the normal functioning of the endocrine system (hormonal system) and its hormones. Since the endocrine system regulates hormonal communication throughout the body, it is important to be aware of endocrine saboteurs, so to prevent unnecessary exposure. With the abiliity to turn on, shut off, or alter signals that our hormones are responsible for carrying, the end result is that endocrine disruptors can affect the normal functioning of tissues and organs in the body.

Every single human being on this earth, regardless of age, race, or financial status is at risk of experiencing endocrine disruption. It is virtually impossible to prevent 100% exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals since they are present everywhere. They can be found in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and in the products we consume.

Being so critical to the regulation of various functions in the body, the endocrine system and its functionality is important to maintain throughout life. The endocrine glands are responsible for communicating vital information throughout the body to organs, tissues and cells so that we can achieve homeostasis. This includes the regulation of our growth, immunity, sexual reproduction, the brain and its neurological pathways, 

Awareness begins getting educated on what and where endocrine disrupting chemicals are found. We must then make the appropriate lifestyle adjustments, alongside eating a well balanced, healthy diet , reducing unnecessary stress, increasing physical activity, and getting quality sleep.

Common endocrine disruptors are found in everyday consumable products:

Canned food and beverages
Plastic bottles, BPA plastic and plastic containers
Flame retardants typically found in mass marketed furniture
Detergents
Paper receipts and money
Toys
Pharmaceuticals
Pesticides
Cosmetics
Phthalates

How do endocrine disruptors affect the human body?

 

How endocrine disruptors contribute to the destruction of our hormonal system.

  • Some chemicals can mimic a natural hormone. By doing so, it fools the body into over-responding to a stimulus. 
  • Some endocrine disruptors can modify the timing that certain hormones are released. This could mean a hormone is released when it is unnecessary.
  • There are endocrine disrupting chemicals that block the effects of a hormone from certain receptors.
  • Some endocrine disrupting agents stimulate or inhibit the endocrine system. These end up causing an overproduction or underproduction of hormones.
  • Endocrine disruptors can alter how various organs function.
  • They may change the secretion rate of hormones, altering how much a particular hormone gets secreted, and then modifying the outcome of the hormone’s messaging.


Health Related Issues 

We are exposed to these endocrine disrupting agents daily and receive them from multiple sources. In 2013, the World Health Organisation (WHO) released a report, co-produced with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). This report outlined the health-related issues that have been found directly attributable to exposure to these endocrine disrupting chemicals, including:

  • ADHD and Autism
  • Thyroid Cancer
  • Disturbances in the immune system development and function
  • Developmental and reproductive malformations such as non-descended testes in that of young males
  • Disruption of a growing child’s nervous system development


References
  • Endocrine Disruptors. (2018). National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Retrieved 9 November 2018, from https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/supported/exposure/endocrine/index.cfm
  • Endocrine Disruptors Research. (2018). National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Retrieved 9 November 2018, from https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/programs/endocrine/index.cfm
  • Thaddeus T. Schug, Anne F. Johnson, Linda S. Birnbaum, Theo Colborn, Louis J. Guillette, David P. Crews, Terry Collins, Ana M. Soto, Frederick S. vom Saal, John A. McLachlan, Carlos Sonnenschein, Jerrold J. Heindel; Minireview: Endocrine Disruptors: Past Lessons and Future Directions, Molecular Endocrinology, Volume 30, Issue 8, 1 August 2016, Pages 833–847,
  • Thompson, P. A., Khatami, M., Baglole, C. J., Sun, J., Harris, S. A., Moon, E. Y., Al-Mulla, F., Al-Temaimi, R., Brown, D. G., Colacci, A., Mondello, C., Raju, J., Ryan, E. P., Woodrick, J., Scovassi, A. I., Singh, N., Vaccari, M., Roy, R., Forte, S., Memeo, L., Salem, H. K., Amedei, A., Hamid, R. A., Lowe, L., Guarnieri, T., … Bisson, W. H. (2015). Environmental immune disruptors, inflammation and cancer risk. Carcinogenesis, 36 Suppl 1(Suppl 1), S232-53.
  • ‘Vandenberg, L. N., Colborn, T., Hayes, T. B., Heindel, J. J., Jacobs, D. R., Lee, D. H., Shioda, T., Soto, A. M., vom Saal, F. S., Welshons, W. V., Zoeller, R. T., … Myers, J. P. (2012). Hormones and endocrine-disrupting chemicals: low-dose effects and nonmonotonic dose responses. Endocrine reviews, 33(3), 378-455.
  • Kuo, C., Yang, S., Kuo, P., & Hung, C. (2012). Immunomodulatory effects of environmental endocrine disrupting chemicals. The Kaohsiung Journal Of Medical Sciences, 28(7), S37-S42. doi:10.1016/j.kjms.2012.05.008
  • Meeker JD. Exposure to Environmental Endocrine Disruptors and Child Development. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2012;166(10):952–958. doi:10.1001/archpediatrics.2012.241
  • Soto, A. M., & Sonnenschein, C. (2010). Environmental causes of cancer: endocrine disruptors as carcinogens. Nature reviews. Endocrinology, 6(7), 363-70.
  • Diamanti-Kandarakis, E., Bourguignon, J. P., Giudice, L. C., Hauser, R., Prins, G. S., Soto, A. M., Zoeller, R. T., … Gore, A. C. (2009). Endocrine-disrupting chemicals: an Endocrine Society scientific statement. Endocrine reviews, 30(4), 293-342.  
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Growth Hormone Deficiency

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Natural Migraine Relief

Natural Migraine Relief

Natural Migraine Relief

Natural Migraine Relief - Melatonin
The Endocrine System and Hormones

Natural Migraine Relief 

Published in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, the study compares melatonin, a naturally secreted hormone-like substance, to amitriptyline, the medication typically prescribed for migraine prevention. The study puts this natural compound to the test, investigating migraine relief with melatonin supplementation, comparing both effectiveness and side effects against amitriptyline. For those who suffer the misery of “Migraine disorder”, which is about 12-20% of the world’s population, this neurological condition severely reduces quality of life by producing debilitating pain that often does not subside – even with drug treatment. Half of all patient’s seeking medical support for their migraine disorder, end up giving up the search for relief due to the harsh side effects provided by the use of amitriptyline. The side effects cause both physical and psychiatric disorders, which when compared to a migraine headache, are far worse for the patient and not worth the risk.
Side effects of Amitriptyline Use Include:

  • Dizziness
  • Chest pain
  • Shoulder pain
  • Jaw pain
  • Nausea
  • Fluttering in the chest
  • Pounding heart
  • Confusion
  • Hallucinations
  • Severe constipation
  • Seizures
  • Painful urination
  • Sudden weakness
  • Fever
  • Unusual bleeding
  • Sore throat
  • Easy bruising
  • Diarrhea
  • Shifts in appetite
  • Changes in weight
  • Development of rashes
  • Impotence
  • Itching
  • Decrease in libido

Details about the study:

  • Male and Female subjects between 18-65 years
  • Chronic migraine sufferers who experience 2-8 migraines per month.
  • 196 participants
  • After a 4-week baseline phase, the participants were randomised to placebo, amitriptyline 25 mg or melatonin 3 mg.
  • 178 participants took medication, and the researchers did a follow up within three months.
  • The outcome was measured by how many migraine headaches were experienced per month. Noted was the migraine intensity, the responder rate, the duration of each migraine and analgesic use. Tolerability was also recorded between groups.

Summary of Results:
Reduction in headache frequency: Melatonin 2.7 days
Reduction in headache frequency: Amitriptyline = 2.2 days
Reduction in headache frequency: Placebo= 1.1 days
Melatonin was shown to reduce headache frequency quite significantly in comparison to the placebo, but not with amitriptyline. Melatonin was considered to be a far superior treatment to placebo due to the percentage of patients who experienced 50%+ reduction in migraines. Melatonin was also found to be much safer and more tolerable treatment than the amitriptyline. Those who were participants within the melatonin study group were seen to experience weight loss. Those taking the placebo, as well as the amitriptyline group, had the opposite effect concerning weight, whereby a slight gain was noted during the research period.
The conclusion by the authors: Migraine Relief with Melatonin Supplementation is Preferred
Taking 3mg melatonin offers patients a much better migraine relief than the placebo and is more tolerable than amitriptyline. Melatonin 3mg has been shown to be as effective as amitriptyline 25mg in offering relief to patients suffering from migraine headaches. Migraine headaches and melatonin – the winning combination. Sufferers end up discontinuing amitriptyline and seek to use more natural alternatives, due to the long list of negative side effects experienced from amitriptyline. A notable observation as a result of the study also was that the melatonin-treated participants experienced significant weight loss in comparison to those using the drug amitriptyline, which experienced a weight gain. The study did explain that in some patients, melatonin could have contraindications, such as in those taking opioids or who were actively overusing opioids. There is a caution to these individuals, for melatonin has been known to potentiate opioid analgesia. There are also cautions for patients who are diabetic or have hypertension as melatonin may decrease blood pressure and glucose levels, and therefore monitoring is advised. Natural remedies like Melatonin are getting the respect they deserve and studies like this one, reveal what alternatives we have available that are just as effective with far fewer side effects than traditional migraine medication. The study recommends further analysis into the best and most effective dosage of melatonin alongside its effect in combination with other medications.

References
 

  • Lyon, C., & Langner, S. (2017). PURLs: Consider melatonin for migraine prevention. The Journal of family practice, 66(5), 320-322.
  • The Migraine-Melatonin Connection. (2018). Cdi.edu.au. Retrieved 9 November 2018, from https://cdi.edu.au/clarity/migraine_melatonin_connection.php
  • Alstadhaug K, Salvesen R, Bekkelund S. 24-hour distribution of migraine attacks. Headache. (2008)
  • Gonçalves, A., Martini Ferreira, A., Ribeiro, R., Zukerman, E., Cipolla-Neto, J., & Peres, M. (2016). Randomised clinical trial comparing melatonin 3 mg, amitriptyline 25 mg and placebo for migraine prevention. Journal Of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, 87(10), 1127-1132. doi:10.1136/jnnp-2016-313458
  • Peres MF. Melatonin for migraine prevention. Curr Pain Headache Rep. (2011)
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What Affects Male Testosterone Levels?

What Affects Male Testosterone Levels?

What Affects Male Testosterone Levels?

Male testosterone levels
The Endocrine System and Hormones

How and What Affect Male Testosterone Levels?

Most of us know that it is the testosterone in men that grants a man his male characteristics. It is the hormone that makes men virile. Some of us also realise that with age, these hormone levels decrease, and sadly a man’s virility goes with it.

  1. DHEA

Dehydroepiandrosterone is an endogenous hormone produced from cholesterol by the adrenal glands. DHEA is a precursor to oestrogen and androgen (the male and female sex hormones).
 

  1. AROMATASE

Aromatase is an enzyme that enables the body to convert testosterone into oestrogen by being a catalyst for this conversion. Oestrogen producing cells contain aromatase and are found in the adrenal glands, the testicles, the ovaries, adipose (fatty) tissue and the brain.
 

  1. OBESITY

Even men under the age of 40 can have significantly reduced testosterone if they are obese. Increased belly fat suppresses the action of luteinizing hormone (LH) in the testes. This suppression can dramatically decrease circulating testosterone levels (Mah and Wittert 2010). There is evidence that increased aromatase levels are a direct result of excess belly fat (Kalyani and Dobs 2007).
 

  1. SHBG.

These initials stand for ‘Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin’. The production of SHBG is mainly in the liver. However, the brain, uterus, testes and placenta can also create it. When the SHGB is produced in the testes, it is called an androgen-binding protein. The testosterone that circulates in the bloodstream is bound to SHGB (60%) or albumin (38%). Only about 2% of testosterone is unbound, or “free”. (Morales et al. 2010). SHGB levels influence the bioavailability of testosterone because testosterone binds more tightly to SHGB than it does albumin-bound testosterone. (Morales et al. 2010).
 

  1. AGEING

The levels of aromatase and SHBG rise when men age. This result is the levels of oestrogen rise and the testosterone declines. When this occurs, the levels of free testosterone decreases dramatically. When levels of free testosterone drop the result is sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass), (Lapauw et al. 2008). Sarcopenia is degenerative and therefore illustrates the importance of testosterone levels in men to be at their optimum.
 

  1. THE LIVER

Keeping the liver functioning at its optimal level is also of great importance as the liver removes excess oestrogen and SHGB from the body. When there is a decrease in liver function, this causes a hormonal imbalance, which is detrimental to one’s health. To prevent further degradation that occurs with andropause, men should have regular check-ups with their GP to make sure that their liver function is optimal.

References
 

  • de Ronde, W., & de Jong, F. H. (2011). Aromatase inhibitors in men: effects and therapeutic options. Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E, 9, 93. doi:10.1186/1477-7827-9-93
  • Saad, F., Aversa, A., M. Isidori, A., & J. Gooren, L. (2012). Testosterone as Potential Effective Therapy in Treatment of Obesity in Men with Testosterone Deficiency: A Review. Current Diabetes Reviews, 8(2), 131-143. doi:10.2174/157339912799424573
  • Naifar, M., Rekik, N., Messedi, M., Chaabouni, K., Lahiani, A., & Turki, M. et al. (2014). Male hypogonadism and metabolic syndrome. Andrologia, 47(5), 579-586. doi:10.1111/and.12305
  • Araujo, A. B., & Wittert, G. A. (2011). Endocrinology of the aging male. Best practice & research. Clinical endocrinology & metabolism, 25(2), 303-19.
  • Stanworth, R. D., & Jones, T. H. (2008). Testosterone for the aging male; current evidence and recommended practice. Clinical interventions in aging, 3(1), 25-44.
  • Orwoll, E., Lapidus, J., Wang, P., Vandenput, L., Hoffman, A., & Fink, H. et al. (2016). The Limited Clinical Utility of Testosterone, Estradiol, and Sex Hormone Binding Globulin Measurements in the Prediction of Fracture Risk and Bone Loss in Older Men. Journal Of Bone And Mineral Research, 32(3), 633-640. doi:10.1002/jbmr.3021
  • Collier, C., Morales, A., Clark, A., Lam, M., Wynne-Edwards, K., & Black, A. (2010). The Significance of Biological Variation in the Diagnosis of Testosterone Deficiency, and Consideration of the Relevance of Total, Free and Bioavailable Testosterone Determinations. The Journal Of Urology, 183(6), 2294-2299. doi:10.1016/j.juro.2010.02.011
  • AS, K. (2018). Androgen deficiency, diabetes, and the metabolic syndrome in men. – PubMed – NCBI . Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 9 November 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17940444
  • GA, M. (2018). Obesity and testicular function. – PubMed – NCBI . Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 9 November 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19540307
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read more