HGH & Emphysema

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), for every 100,000 people, four to five of them die from emphysema each year in the United States. There is no real cure for emphysema, so researchers are looking into different treatment options.

Human Growth Hormone

• HGH injections are given to those who are HGH-deficient.

  The pituitary gland produces HGH, or human growth hormone. According to Dr. Mark L. Gordon, it is composed of 191 long-chain amino acids. Medications can help those who are HGH-deficient. According to Drugs.com, somatropin is a man-made, injectable form of the HGH produced by the body. Research is finding other uses for HGH, aside from its use as a treatment for Turner's syndrome and other growth-related diseases.

Emphysema

• Smoking is the leading cause of emphysema.

  According to the Mayo Clinic, "emphysema occurs when the air sacs at the ends of your smallest air passages (bronchioles) are gradually destroyed." It is a factor in the progression of COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and its leading cause is smoking. The CDC estimates the number of non-institutionalized adults diagnosed with emphysema numbered 3.8 million in 2008. Treatment options can slow the progression of emphysema, but there is no way to reverse the damage that the disease causes, according to the Mayo Clinic.

HGH for Emphysema

• There are some claims that HGH improves oxygen uptake for emphysema patients. Most of these claims are made by companies that sell HGH-related products over the Internet. "David Clemmons, chief of Endocrinology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, believes that HGH is a promising treatment for emphysema and other chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases," according to HGHprescription.org. Emphysema patients must use caution when experimenting with any treatment if they are not under the care of a licensed physician.