Knowra Growth hormone therapy Growth hormone therapy Growth hormone therapy uses administered growth hormone to treat selected causes of impaired growth and certain other medical conditions. Treatment requires individualized dosing and monitoring because benefits and risks vary by diagnosis.
Somatropin : A laboratory-produced form of human growth hormone used as a prescription medicine. It is the principal medicine used to provide growth hormone in therapy.
Pediatric growth hormone deficiency : Insufficient growth hormone production during childhood, often causing reduced growth velocity and short stature. Replacement can improve growth when deficiency is confirmed.
Growth hormone-releasing hormone therapy : Treatment that stimulates the pituitary to release growth hormone using growth hormone-releasing hormone or related agents. It stimulates endogenous secretion rather than directly replacing growth hormone.
Intracranial hypertension : Abnormally elevated pressure around the brain that can cause headache, vomiting, and visual symptoms. It is an uncommon adverse effect that warrants prompt assessment during treatment.
Growth hormone : A peptide hormone produced by the pituitary gland that regulates growth, metabolism, and tissue function. Therapy supplies this hormone when endogenous production or specific clinical circumstances warrant it.
Growth hormone–IGF-1 axis : The endocrine pathway in which growth hormone stimulates production of insulin-like growth factor 1. Much of growth hormone’s growth-promoting effect is mediated through IGF-1.
Adult growth hormone deficiency : Inadequate growth hormone production in adulthood, commonly associated with hypothalamic or pituitary disease. Adult replacement targets body composition, bone health, and quality of life rather than height.
Growth hormone secretagogue : A substance that promotes the body's release of growth hormone, often by acting on the ghrelin receptor. Secretagogues stimulate hormone release and are not equivalent to prescribed somatropin replacement.
Slipped capital femoral epiphysis : A hip disorder in which the femoral head shifts at the growth plate, usually during adolescence. Rapid growth during therapy can be associated with this complication in susceptible children.
Pituitary gland : An endocrine gland at the base of the brain that releases hormones including growth hormone. Pituitary function is central to diagnosing deficiency and understanding replacement.
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