Human growth hormone testing

The growth hormone in the human body is produced and secreted by the pituitary gland, which is located at the base of the brain. HGH is responsible for various aspects of metabolism and also the growth of the body.


The human growth hormone mainly stimulates the liver to produce and secrete insulin like growth factor or IGF-1. IGF-1 brings about production of the cartilage cells, which results in growth of the organs, muscles and bones. Due to this reason HGH is being misused for enhancing an athlete’s performance. Thus a test was introduces in the 2004 Olympic games to test HGH levels in the blood.

Human growth hormone requires a balance to be maintained in the body to avoid abnormal functioning of the body. HGH in excess or in low amounts in the body could create problems like gigantism or dwarfism. The HGH tests are based on the fact that the IGF-1 and the hormone work together, hence if the HGH levels is high then the IGF-1 level will also be high. This can be tested through two blood tests.

As described above, inadequate or excess growth hormones in the body can lead to serious abnormalities, and hence testing is very important. One very prominent disease of the pituitary gland is acromegaly, wherein the pituitary gland is affected by a tumor. During the treatment, the patient is given HGH injections to observe the development.

When the HGH test is taken, the patient is asked to lie still for some time, so that the blood can be drawn out for HGH testing. Any movement or physical activities can affect the production of the hormone and the result of the test might be inaccurate. Other reason for the test result to come inaccurate is the use of certain drugs which increase the levels of estrogen, like contraceptive pills.

The HGH test is done with the help of blood samples, which are collected on different days. This is done to see the change in the hormone levels. The IGF-1 test is taken as the change in the levels take place slowly. The reports of the HGH test depend on the lab and the guidelines they follow. The usual hormone level is 0-5ng/ml for men, 0-10ng/ml for women and 0-16ng/ml for children, anything above or below this indicates a disorder. This can also lead to tumor in the pituitary gland.

Usually before the tests, the patient is asked to consume large amounts of sugar, the level of sugar should decrease in the second test, and if it does not then it is diagnosed as acromegaly. The HGH tests are done to check the hormone level in the body before the insulin is introduced in the bloodstream. After the insulin is introduced, the GH level should be higher than normal, if it is not so then the patient is diagnosed with a deficiency of human growth hormone.