{"id":"hgh","name":"Human growth hormone (somatropin)","aliases":["HGH","somatropin","rhGH","Genotropin","Norditropin","Humatrope"],"url":"https://lyoresearch.com/compounds/hgh","class":{"id":"growth-hormone-and-igf","name":"Growth hormone, IGF-1 and growth factors","url":"https://lyoresearch.com/classes/growth-hormone-and-igf"},"summary":"Growth hormone is a 191-amino-acid protein, approved for decades to treat genuine growth-hormone deficiency in children and adults, where it works well. Sold as an anti-ageing or physique drug, its record is different: a meta-analysis of randomised trials in healthy older adults found it shifts about 2 kg of fat to lean tissue with no change in total weight, while significantly raising rates of swelling, joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and gynaecomastia. The authors concluded it cannot be recommended for that purpose.","overall_grade":"A","overall_grade_meaning":"established in humans","human_trials":"Many RCTs + meta-analysis","regulatory_status":"Approved (Rx) for deficiency; anti-ageing use unlawful in the US","molecule":{"formula":null,"molecular_weight":null,"cas":null,"pubchem_cid":null,"note":"A 191-residue protein (somatropin) — no small-molecule record"},"pharmacokinetics":{"basis":"label","route":"Subcutaneous injection, daily","half_life":"About 3 hours (subcutaneous)","licensed_regimen":"Paediatric GHD: 0.16-0.24 mg/kg/week SC; adult GHD: about 0.2 mg/day (0.15-0.30 mg/day), increased by 0.1-0.2 mg/day every 1-2 months","product":"Genotropin (somatropin)","source":{"title":"Genotropin prescribing information (DailyMed)","url":"https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=ffebf88b-d257-4542-9808-74d9b7167765"}},"outcomes":[{"outcome":"Body composition in healthy older adults","grade":"A","grade_meaning":"established in humans","effect_size":"small","adverse":false,"human_studies":"Meta-analysis, 18 study populations","evidence":"Fat mass fell about 2.1 kg and lean mass rose about 2.1 kg, with no change in total body weight. A shift, not a loss — and smaller than most people expect.","references":[{"citation":"Liu H, et al. Systematic review: the safety and efficacy of growth hormone in the healthy elderly.","where":"Ann Intern Med, 2007;146:104–115","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17227934/"}],"verbatim":{"text":"In participants treated with GH compared with those not treated with GH, overall fat mass decreased (change in fat mass, -2.1 kg [95% CI, -2.8 to -1.35] and overall lean body mass increased (change in lean body mass, 2.1 kg [CI, 1.3 to 2.9]) (P < 0.001), and their weight did not change significantly (change in weight, 0.1 kg [CI, -0.7 to 0.8]; P = 0.87).","citation":"Liu H, et al. Systematic review: the safety and efficacy of growth hormone in the healthy elderly.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17227934/"}},{"outcome":"Growth-hormone deficiency","grade":"A","grade_meaning":"established in humans","effect_size":"large","adverse":false,"human_studies":"Approval-grade programmes","evidence":"In children and adults with diagnosed deficiency, replacement restores growth and improves body composition and quality of life. This is the licensed indication and is not in dispute.","references":[{"citation":"Somatropin prescribing information and approved indications.","where":"FDA / EMA product information","url":"https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/"}]},{"outcome":"Anti-ageing","grade":"D","grade_meaning":"no human evidence","effect_size":"not measurable","adverse":false,"human_studies":"No trial supports it","evidence":"No randomised trial has shown that growth hormone slows ageing or extends life in healthy people. The systematic review that examined the question concluded against the use.","references":[{"citation":"Liu H, et al. Systematic review: the safety and efficacy of growth hormone in the healthy elderly.","where":"Ann Intern Med, 2007;146:104–115","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17227934/"}],"verbatim":{"text":"On the basis of this evidence, GH cannot be recommended as an antiaging therapy.","citation":"Liu H, et al. Systematic review: the safety and efficacy of growth hormone in the healthy elderly.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17227934/"}},{"outcome":"Adverse effects","grade":"A","grade_meaning":"established in humans","effect_size":"moderate","adverse":true,"human_studies":"Meta-analysis","evidence":"Fluid retention, joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and breast tissue growth in men are all significantly more common, with a signal for new diabetes and impaired fasting glucose.","references":[{"citation":"Liu H, et al. Systematic review: the safety and efficacy of growth hormone in the healthy elderly.","where":"Ann Intern Med, 2007;146:104–115","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17227934/"}],"verbatim":{"text":"Persons treated with GH were significantly more likely to experience soft tissue edema, arthralgias, carpal tunnel syndrome, and gynecomastia and were somewhat more likely to experience the onset of diabetes mellitus and impaired fasting glucose.","citation":"Liu H, et al. Systematic review: the safety and efficacy of growth hormone in the healthy elderly.","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17227934/"}}],"regions":[{"region":"European Union","status":"Approved, prescription-only","note":"Multiple somatropin products authorised for growth-hormone deficiency and related indications. Supply for physique or anti-ageing use is outside the licence."},{"region":"United States","status":"Approved, prescription-only — anti-ageing distribution is a federal offence","note":"Approved for specific deficiency indications. Distributing growth hormone for anti-ageing or athletic use is expressly unlawful under US law, not merely off-label."},{"region":"United Kingdom","status":"Licensed, prescription-only","note":"Licensed by the MHRA for deficiency indications."},{"region":"Australia","status":"Registered, prescription-only","note":"On the ARTG for deficiency indications; import without a prescription is an offence."},{"region":"Canada","status":"Authorised, prescription-only","note":"Authorised for deficiency indications."},{"region":"Sport (WADA)","status":"Prohibited at all times","note":"Growth hormone is prohibited in and out of competition under the peptide-hormone class, and is specifically tested for."}],"faq":[{"q":"Does HGH build muscle in healthy adults?","a":"It increases lean body mass by roughly 2 kg on average in trials of older adults — but much of that is fluid, total weight does not change, and the trials did not show a matching gain in strength or function."},{"q":"Is HGH legal?","a":"As a prescription treatment for diagnosed deficiency, yes. In the United States, distributing it for anti-ageing or athletic purposes is a specific federal offence rather than ordinary off-label use."},{"q":"Why do so many peptides claim to raise growth hormone?","a":"Because raising it is easy to measure and sounds like a result. This page is the control experiment: give people the hormone itself and the effect on body composition is small and comes with side effects."}],"references":[{"cite":"Liu H, et al. Systematic review: the safety and efficacy of growth hormone in the healthy elderly.","where":"Ann Intern Med, 2007;146:104–115","url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17227934/","note":"18 study populations; the definitive assessment of anti-ageing use."},{"cite":"Somatropin prescribing information and approved indications.","where":"FDA / EMA product information","url":"https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/daf/","note":"Licensed indications for growth-hormone deficiency."}],"last_reviewed":"2026-09-03","literature_searched_to":"2026-09-03","changelog":[{"date":"2026-09-03","note":"Initial publication. Deficiency treatment graded A; anti-ageing use graded D on the systematic review."}],"license":"CC BY 4.0 — cite as “LYO Research” with a link.","methodology":"https://lyoresearch.com/methodology"}