Recombinant medications and drugs have multiple benefits and drawbacks. People think that artificial HGH can negatively impact human cardiovascular health. But the question is, is HGH bad for your heart? Keep reading if you want to find out.
Human growth hormone (HGH) has been suggested to reduce the risk of suffering or even death from cardiovascular diseases such as heart failure, myocardial infarction, diabetes, osteoporosis, cognitive decline, depression and ischemic heart disease, which could be caused by hypopituitarism, the lessened amount of the production of at least one hormone by the pituitary gland, including HGH.
Poor diet and mental care, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and lack of physical activities suppress the secretion of those hormones, leading to the aforementioned diseases.
Once the level of HGH is low, issues start cropping up, with the heart being significantly affected.
Suppressed HGH volume means that the heart isn’t as robust for its function as it should be. GH deficiency tends to instigate cardiac complications.
These include diminished ventricular mass, less exercise tolerance, and more serum lipid accumulation.
Per an article on the Healthgain website, these issues could harm your heart in many ways.
Wanting to prove whether the combination of HGH and testosterone treatment was indeed beneficial for people with heart failure (treatment with HGH alone has been considered effective and safe in most studies), Andrea Salzano et al. (2019) studied 5 patients with chronic heart failure who also had HGH and testosterone deficiency.
The researchers monitored the patients’ symptoms, exercise capacity, and cardiac function throughout the treatment period.
The five patients underwent HGH treatment for a year, injected with 0.012 mg/kg of HGH subcutaneously every day. A year later, 1000 mg of testosterone was given to them through an intramuscular injection every 3 months.
Each patient’s heart was examined using Doppler echocardiogram and cardiopulmonary exercise test on a stationary bicycle a year after the GH treatment and a year after the combined HGH and T one.
The patients also received beta-blockers (to prevent secondary heart attack, reduce their blood pressure, and regulate their heart rhythm), ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors or ARBs (angiotensin II receptor blockers) for similar functions in certain doses, and had their blood vessels checked with MRA (magnetic resonance angiography) at least 3 months prior to the treatments so that there would be no possible adverse effects.
The results from the 1-year lone HGH therapy were:
The left ventricle pumped blood throughout all body parts much more smoothly. The left ventricle is responsible for pumping blood out of the heart and into the body, so, any improvement in its function can greatly benefit individuals with heart failure
The VO2 max or maximal oxygen uptake greatly increased during the course of the HGH therapy. VO2 max is an important measure of aerobic capacity and reflects the body’s ability to use oxygen efficiently during exercise.
The increase in VO2 max suggests that HGH therapy may have improved the patients’ physical capacity and overall fitness and
The b-type natriuretic peptide significantly decreased during the HGH therapy. B-type natriuretic peptide is a hormone that is released by the heart in response to increased pressure or stress.
Elevated levels of this hormone are often seen in individuals with heart failure, and its decrease suggests that the HGH therapy may have helped to improve heart function and reduce stress on the heart.
On the other hand, too much HGH is also dangerous to the heart. When your pituitary releases excessive HGH or when you inject too much synthetic HGH, your heart suffers.
Excessive HGH results in acromegaly. Besides, too much HGH spurs the liver to secrete increased IGF-1 hormone.
These actions could increase the rate of heart failure due to the disproportionate enlargement, as per an article on the Journal HIH Record.
Treatment can be done for GH deficiency. As for the combined therapy, it did improve the heart failure patients’ cardiovascular system and was overall harmless.
While the study conducted by Andrea Salzano et al. (2019) focused on the effects of HGH therapy alone, there have been other studies that have investigated the effects of combined HGH and testosterone therapy on individuals with heart failure.
These studies have generally shown positive results, with improvements in cardiovascular function and overall health.
For example, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism in 2009 investigated the effects of combined HGH and testosterone therapy on individuals with heart failure and growth hormone deficiency.
The study found that the combined therapy was effective in improving heart function, exercise capacity, and overall quality of life, with no significant adverse effects.
Apart from that, chronic heart failure is a common cardiovascular disorder with a poor prognosis.
Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 are involved in the control of muscle mass and function, body composition, and nutrient metabolism, as well as the modulation of myocardial structure and function.
The expression of receptors for both GH and IGF-1 in cardiac myocytes implies that they may act directly on the heart or via the induction of local or systemic IGF-1.
Patients with GH deficiency have impaired cardiac efficiency, while those with acromegaly have an increased propensity to develop ventricular hypertrophy and cardiovascular diseases.
It has been indicated by experimental studies that GH and IGF-1 may stimulate myocardial contractility through modifications in intracellular calcium handling.
Based on previous evidence, GH treatment is expected to have beneficial effects on patients with heart failure due to ventricular dilation with inadequate wall thickening that leads to impaired cardiac performance.
GH administration has been shown to dramatically improve cardiac function in patients with GH deficiency, and small open studies have demonstrated beneficial effects in patients with heart failure due to ischemic or idiopathic cardiomyopathy.
However, treatment has to be carefully monitored. HGH injection could increase the size of the heart.
This is due to cardiomyopathy where fibrosis could develop inside both ventricle walls thus leading to narrowing.
If the left ventricle chamber wall enlarges, it reduces in size, causing blood pressure to build, per an article on the National Library of Medicine website.
Nonetheless, recent randomized placebo-controlled studies have revealed insignificant improvement in cardiac performance mediated by GH in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. This could be attributed to acquired GH resistance in severe heart failure.
SIMILAR QUESTION
How Does Growth Hormone Affect Heart Rate?
Introduction
Growth hormone (GH) is a hormone produced by the pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain. It is responsible for regulating the growth and development of the body, as well as other physiological functions. GH is released in pulses throughout the day, and its levels are highest during adolescence and decline in adulthood. GH plays a significant role in the cardiovascular system, and its effects on heart rate are of particular interest. This paper will explore how GH affects heart rate, as well as its implications for cardiovascular health.
How Growth Hormone Affects Heart Rate
Growth hormone is known to affect heart rate in multiple ways. GH has both direct and indirect effects on heart rate, which are mediated through different pathways.
Direct Effects
GH has been found to directly affect heart rate, as it increases heart rate by stimulating the release of norepinephrine from sympathetic nerve endings. Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter that is involved in the regulation of heart rate. This increase in heart rate is mediated by the β-adrenergic receptors in the heart.
GH also increases stroke volume, which is the amount of blood pumped out of the heart in one beat. This increase in stroke volume leads to a higher cardiac output, which is the amount of blood pumped by the heart per minute. This increase in cardiac output further contributes to an increase in heart rate.
Indirect Effects
In addition to its direct effects on heart rate, GH also has indirect effects on heart rate. GH increases the production of IGF-1, which is a hormone involved in the regulation of heart rate. IGF-1 increases heart rate by stimulating the release of epinephrine, which is another neurotransmitter that is involved in the regulation of heart rate.
GH also increases the levels of free fatty acids in the blood, which can have a negative effect on heart rate. Fatty acids interfere with the conduction of electrical impulses in the heart, which can lead to an irregular heartbeat and a decrease in heart rate.
Implications for Cardiovascular Health
Growth hormone has significant implications for cardiovascular health. While GH increases heart rate, it can also have a negative effect if the increase is too rapid or sustained for an extended period of time. A rapid or sustained increase in heart rate can lead to cardiac arrhythmias, which are abnormal heart rhythms that can cause serious health complications.
In addition, the effects of GH on heart rate can be exacerbated by other factors such as stress and physical activity, as these can further increase the heart rate. Therefore, it is important to monitor GH levels and ensure that they are within a normal range to avoid any potential complications.
Conclusion
In conclusion, growth hormone has a significant effect on heart rate. GH increases heart rate both directly and indirectly, and its effects are mediated through different pathways. In addition, GH has implications for cardiovascular health, as an increase in heart rate can lead to serious health complications. Therefore, it is important to monitor GH levels and ensure that they are within a normal range in order to maintain optimal cardiovascular health.
