Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a medical condition, caused by problems arising in the pituitary gland, in which the body does not produce enough growth hormone (GH). Growth hormone, also called somatropin, is a polypeptide hormone which stimulates growth and cell reproduction.
Growth hormone deficiency has different effects at different ages; in newborn infants, the primary manifestations may be hypoglycemia or micropenis, while in later infancy and childhood, growth failure is more likely. Deficiency in adults is rare, but may feature diminished lean body mass, poor bone density, and a number of physical and psychological symptoms. Psychological symptoms include poor memory, social withdrawal, and depression, while physical symptoms may include loss of strength, stamina, and musculature. Other hormonal or glandular disorders frequently coincide with diminished growth hormone production.
GH deficiency can be treated through growth hormone replacement or injections of growth hormone.
Read more about Growth Hormone Deficiency: Classification, Causes, Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Treatment, History
Famous quotes containing the words growth and/or deficiency:
“Humour is the describing the ludicrous as it is in itself; wit is the exposing it, by comparing or contrasting it with something else. Humour is, as it were, the growth of nature and accident; wit is the product of art and fancy.”
—William Hazlitt (1778–1830)
“It is easier to discover a deficiency in individuals, in states, and in Providence, than to see their real import and value.”
—Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831)