Move over Botox, a drug called somatropin (sold as Genotropin), which was developed to help with development disorders, is being touted as the new youth elixir. But is it a ticking time bomb?
Courtney Love reportedly left a vial of the drug in an LA hotel room and other A-lister devotees claim the drug can do everything from reduce body fat to reverse the signs of ageing, the UK's Daily Mail reported.
But critics argue the prescription-only drug has potential side effects, including joint and muscle pain, diabetes and even cancer, which seriously negate any aesthetic benefits.
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Somatropin is a synthetic version of human growth hormone (hGH), which is naturally occurring in our bodies but diminishes with age. Forty- and 50-somethings who believe these diminishing levels cause the ageing process are illegally purchasing the drug over the Internet in their quest for eternal youth.
One user in the UK told the Daily Mail she started buying hGH over the Internet after a skiing accident left her with damaged tendons around her shoulder.
"Two years after the accident, I still couldn't move it properly, so a friend who was a bodybuilder suggested I try hGH," the woman who did not want to be identified said.
"After just three months my shoulder had completely recovered, but it was the other benefits that got me hooked. My eyes were brighter, my skin seemed firmer, my complexion was much more even and my hair was thicker. But I was also sleeping better and had more energy".
So if the drug really does reverse the signs of ageing, why is it not readily available?
Professor John Monson from the London Centre for Endocrinology said the drug is a prescription-only drug licensed only to be used with those deficient in hGH.
"Research has been carried out that shows that while there may be side effects, on balance, it's better for the patient to take it than not. That's not the case when you've giving it to healthy people," Professor Monson said.
He listed the possible side-effects as fluid retention, joint pain, an increased risk of developing diabetes and even more serious disease.
"Might giving a healthy person growth hormone increase their risk of cancer? Yes, possibly. But nobody knows because the research hasn't been done," he said.
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