Other Tests For Human Growth Hormone

Human growth hormone (HGH) plays a role in growth and metabolism processes. Despite the importance of HGH in the body, there are still unfortunate people who lack the proper number of HGH in the body. The amount of HGH in the body and the capability of the pituitary gland to produce such hormone can be measured through undergoing tests.

Aside from the popular growth stimulation test (GHST), there are still other tests that can be done to determine if a person has HGH diseases. These tests are the growth hormone suppression test and the Somatomedin C test.

The growth hormone suppression test is also called the glucose loading test. This test assesses too much baseline levels of HGH and confirms analysis of acromegaly and gigantism. The patient who will undergo this kind of test should not eat or drink from midnight the night before the test and until blood samples are drawn. Physical activities of the patient should be restricted. The test procedures usually require two varied blood samples. The first blood sample is drawn before the ingestion of glucose through the mouth and the second sample is drawn after two hours of intake of glucose.

In normal patients, loading of glucose restrains the HGH production. Patients with excessive HGH levels and which HGH levels are not suppressed after glucose intake are considered to be positive of acromegaly or gigantism. Patients who have undergone the growth suppression test may experience queasiness after test but this can be easily remedied by ice chips.

Another type of test is the Somatomedin C test. Somatomedin C or Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) test is considered to be more accurate than other tests because certain factors do not affect the results of this test. Activity levels, diets or time of day do not in any way affect the results of this test. This test usually detects pituitary abnormalities, HGH deficiency and acromegaly. Somatomedin C depends on HGH levels because it is part of the group of peptides that the HGH affects.

Somatomedin levels are directly proportional to the HGH level of a person. If a person has high Somatomedin C level, then he has high HGH level and this is the same if the level is low. If a patient has unusually low HGH level or absence of HGH then it is likely that the person has a HGH disease. Like all other tests, Somatomedin C also requires blood sampling and fasting midnight before the test is administered. The test starts with the cleaning of the skin surface with antiseptic, placing an elastic band around the arm for pressure and then blood is taken as a sample.

Results of this test may not be readily available because the blood sample is taken to a laboratory and may take a week. This kind of test is considered safe but there are still feeling of being wobbly, hematoma and body pain.

These two tests serve as prevention or an early step to cure HGH diseases. It's not only people who have abnormalities in height or other symptoms of the HGH disease who are entitled to take these tests. Anybody can take these tests to measure their HGH level.

Taking these tests doesn't necessarily mean that a person has a disease. These tests are safety measures for each individual.