Grow Hormone (GH) and how it effects the body
Pituitary Foundation - Adult growth hormone replacement
What causes an adult to be deficient in GH?
It is estimated that about three in every 10,000 of the adult population are GH-deficient. About one third of those will have developed the deficiency during childhood. In adults the most frequent cause of GH deficiency is a Benign tumour of the pituitary gland. GH deficiency is usually caused by damage to the pituitary gland or the part of the brain which controls this gland (the Hypothalamus) by the tumour itself or by the surgery and/or Radiotherapy used to treat it.
Other causes include problems with blood supply, for example haemorrhage or ballooning of the arteries (aneurysm). In many cases this leads to deficiencies of several hormones. Idiopathic (no obvious cause) GH deficiency is the most common cause in children, followed by radiotherapy used to treat leukaemia or a brain tumour. It is important to bear in mind that the effects of radiotherapy in both children and adults may not be apparent for some years, so it is important that pituitary function is monitored regularly, by specialists, after treatment.