Provision or Distribution of Growth Hormone for “Antiaging”
Clinical and Legal Issues
- Thomas T. Perls, MD, MPH;
- Neal R. Reisman, MD, JD;
- S. Jay Olshansky, PhD
- Author Affiliations: Geriatrics Section, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Mass (Dr Perls); Department of Plastic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, and St Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, Houston, Tex (Dr Reisman); School of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Ill (Dr Olshansky).
- Corresponding Author: Thomas Perls, MD, MPH, Geriatrics Section, Department of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Robinson 2400, 88 E Newton St, Boston, MA 02118 (thperls{at}bu.edu).
Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text.
- KEYWORDS:
- AGING
- COSTS AND COST ANALYSIS
- DRUGS, NONPRESCRIPTION
- GROWTH HORMONE
- HEALTH POLICY
- INTERNET
- JURISPRUDENCE
- LEGISLATION
- REJUVENATION
The distribution and marketing of human growth hormone (HGH or GH) via Web sites and antiaging clinics has grown into a multimillion-dollar antiaging industry.1-4 Despite congressional hearings warning of deceptive marketing claims and the potential health and economic dangers associated with the antiaging industry,5-6 and statements issued by the National Institute on Aging7-9 and the Federal Trade Commission,10 the distribution and use of GH for antiaging is now common. For example, entering the terms “HGH” and “anti-aging” into the Google search engine generated 3 410 000 hits as of September 26, 2005, many representing Web sites and clinics marketing and selling GH.
Worldwide annual sales of GH are estimated to be $1.5 to $2 billion.4, 11 Vance12 has suggested that 30% of GH prescriptions in the United States are for indications not approved by the Food and Drug Administration …
