HGH Therapy for Heart Health

It is certainly not rare for the medical community to discover new benefits for medications used for other purposes. Perhaps that is why news of HGH therapy for heart health is so exciting. Many things happen to the body as we age. Along with changes to our physical appearance, what happens deep inside the body is even more worrisome. Cardiovascular problems increase with age, as do changes in metabolism, sleep, and immunity. Each of these areas can reap significant benefits from HGH therapy used to treat growth hormone deficiency (GHD).

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is often seen in conjunction with GHD as well as low testosterone, insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and DHEA. These hormones all play vital roles in everyday health and well-being. They also have benefits for the heart. Growth hormone itself helps promote IGF-1 and testosterone production. That makes its decline even more worrisome for cardiac performance.

The connection between HGH and heart health is a complicated one. We cannot point to just one area and say this is what HGH does for the heart. Being overweight, having high LDL cholesterol levels, increased stress, lack of exercise due to fatigue, and other issues related to growth hormone all impact cardiac health.

Studies on the use of HGH for heart health in elderly adults brings forth promise that growth hormone could hold the answer for improved well-being.

Impact of Growth Hormone on Heart Health

As we discuss the benefits of growth hormone, heart health tends to stand out because if the heart does not function, you cannot live. Some of the ways that HGH impacts the heart are direct, others are indirect via the IGF-1 connection.

One such indirect way is through growth hormone’s stimulation of IGF-1 secretion. IGF-1 assists HGH in some of its functions, especially with cellular regeneration. Here, we are talking about every type of cell in the body, including myocytes (heart muscle cells). As HGH and IGF-1 stimulate myocyte production, cardiac contractility can increase. An added benefit is an improvement in the size of cardiomyocytes.

Another indirect effect is the way in which IGF-1 increases nitric oxide (NO) production crucial for coronary blood flow. NO helps to relax arterial smooth muscle cells, as well as decreasing vascular tone. Insulin growth factor 1 also enhances peripheral tissue performance to serve as a cardiovascular neuromodulator.

Further reasons why there are benefits of HGH therapy for heart health include:

• HGH increases left ventricular mass frequently reduced due to GHD. A decrease in posterior wall thickness can lead to a decline in stroke volume and cardiac index as well as left ventricular ejection fraction.
• HGH also impacts the blood vessels in the following ways:
  • Decreasing vascular inflammation and resistance
  • Improving endothelial cell proliferation
  • Enhancing the expression of eNOS
  • Supporting angiogenesis and arteriogenesis
  • Increasing capillary density
  • Improving microvascular alterations
• Growth hormone helps induce the expression of the following factors via a vascularization process:
  • Fibroblast growth factor (FGF)
  • Epidermal growth factor (EGF)
  • Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)

A direct way in which HGH benefits the heart is by stimulating the metabolism to process food into energy rather than fat. People who have low growth hormone levels are at a higher risk for weight gain and obesity. Carrying around excess weight puts a strain on the heart. The heart pumps harder to provide you with energy. When HGH helps your body burn stored fat, you reduce the overload on the heart muscle, allowing it to function with greater ease. To learn more about HGH and how it affects on your body visit: http://www.kingsbergmedical.com/growth-hormone-therapy/

Benefits of HGH Therapy for the Heart

The HGH heart benefits do not stop there. As we stated at the start of this page, there are multiple ways in which HGH impacts the heart. Artery density is the next area we will cover. Human growth hormone helps to regulate cholesterol levels. Adults with GHD are at a higher risk of having too much LDL cholesterol in their bloodstream. Although this cholesterol is necessary for hormone production, too much can lead to a build-up of plaque in the arteries. This condition is called atherosclerosis and is an indicator of low NO production.

As the plaque in the arteries builds up, the arteries narrow. If a piece of the plaque breaks free from the arterial walls, it can easily get stuck and block the blood flow. The formation of a blood clot can lead to a stroke if it occurs in a blood vessel leading to the brain. The same can be said for a heart attack when the blood clot blocks cardiac blood flow.

Along with atherosclerosis, we typically see stiffness in the carotid artery, decreased aortic distensibility, and greater intima-media thickness (a critical predictor for males of acute myocardial infarction). If the lower limb arteries are narrowed due to an increase in plaque, we see a condition called peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Arterial narrowing here restricts blood flow that can result in chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI). If the blood supply is greatly restricted to the limbs, it could lead to the need for amputation. The reason that HGH is good for heart health in this way is that there are GH receptors in the vascular endothelium. The HGH/IGF-1 axis that stimulates NO production helps to restore endothelial function by reducing oxidative stress. We also see HGH therapy reversing structural vascular lesions such as intima-media thickness.

Patients with CHF often have impaired exercise capacity and lower peak oxygen uptake. HGH therapy for heart health helps to improve oxygen consumption and aid in cardiac output. Growth hormone also helps prevent cardiomyocyte apoptosis (the loss of heart cells).

Finally, because HGH also helps stimulate testosterone production, you have the heart benefits of testosterone, as well. Both hormones help improve metabolism and increase energy. That makes it easier to engage in exercise that can help strengthen the heart. Increased pulmonary capacity enhances blood oxygenation to all parts of the body.

Since HGH also improves sleep and emotional well-being while reducing stress, you have those added benefits for the heart. Even your emotional state can impact heart health.

This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of EconoTimes