How Did HGH Become a Sexy Buzzword?

Good question.

Who would ever have thought that something as dull-sounding as a growth hormone (generally abbreviated as HGH) would enter the rarefied air occupied by classic Internet buzzwords such as penis enlargement and Russian brides? (In fact you can't even mention "HGH" on a Squidoo blog or they'll 86 you- quick.)

So how did all this hullabaloo get started and is it all, as Joe Biden likes to say, just "a bunch of malarkey"?

In looking for entities to blame, some big names jump out, none larger than "The New England Journal of Medicine". Yes, that storied repository of all that is new and good about modern medicine published a landmark study in 1990 called "Effects of human growth hormone in men over 60 years old".

As studies go, this one was pretty simple. They took 12 healthy men, aged 61-81, and injected them with synthetic human growth hormone three times a week for six months. Then they compared those 12 with nine other guys of similar age they monitored who received no injections.

The positive report was that the 12 who received the drug experienced a decrease in fat tissue, increase in lean tissue (muscle mass) and an improvement in lumbar spine density. As is its wont, the media went for the spectacular headline at the expense of a more balanced approach.

And there were warnings aplenty. Some of the test subjects suffered from side effects. The cost of the treatment was prohibitive for most people. And it was not established that just normal exercise would not have the same effect as the drug, but without the negative side effects.

But the sexy part that Americans are always looking for is the quick fix- pop a pill and you'll be all better. So if this HGH stuff could turn back the clock without having to actually diet and exercise, well, all the better.

And because the world turns on the almighty dollar, it didn't take long for charlatans to crawl from the woodwork with much-hyped "anti-aging" clinics in every large city featuring high priced treatments guaranteed to lead the well-heeled straight to the "Fountain of Youth".

Before long, many found they had bought more than the promise of youth, as side effects such as diabetes, high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries and various cancers began to appear.

That is the true part of the story that continues to unfold.