Question: Dr. Hibberd, I trust your opinion very much and I’m wondering what you think about older folks taking HGH to rejuvenate themselves. I’d like to try it because I’ve heard good things, but not if it is dangerous.

Dr. Hibberd’s answer:

Oh my, how advertising can sway us away from the truth! The HGH phenomenon has been passed off as an anti-aging treatment. Do not fall for this "snake-oil" approach to anti-aging. HGH is used to optimize height and growth in pre-pubescent children before their growth plates (epiphyses) fuse. It is not safe for adults and we cannot reverse adverse effects.

Look up "acromegaly" — a long-term condition where the body produces too much growth hormone — and decide for yourself.

HGH is not an anti-aging treatment worthy of consideration. It may be unsafe for some older adults, especially with an increased tendency to grow all cells, including malignant and pre-malignant cells. It’s uncertain whether HGH can also accelerate vascular disease, stroke, or heart disease — conditions that can also develop from cellular mechanisms.

When you stimulate growth, you really have no control over which pathways are stimulated, and which are not.

I am a physician who is as interested in anti-aging as anybody, and I do not use HGH. When there is a reasonable alternative for anti-aging treatments, you can be sure I will be talking about it and I will be using it also!