The first to be recognized, of course, is the precipitous decline in estrogen and progesterone production in women called 'menopause.' This is most likely because of the signaling of ovarian failure by the absence of menstruation, infertility, and relatively acute symptoms such as hot flushes.

The other hormones that are well-documented to decline are testosterone in men (and, interestingly, women), growth hormone, and the adrenal hormone DHEA.

The decline in these hormones starts much earlier and is more gradual; however, because of the analogy with menopause, the terms andropause, somatopause, and adrenopause have been adopted. Melatonin also declines in many individuals, but a term describing this phenomenon has not been adopted.

The blood levels of other hormones can actually increase with aging. Tissue resistance to insulin can result in an increase in fasting levels and the levels in response to a meal. This can leads to an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Similarly, our bodies' response to stress can result in prolonged elevations of cortisol, which can cause wreak havoc on body composition, brain function, and immune system function.

Put together, this body of data comprises the endocrine theory of aging.

The sections on these pages will present the evidence for this theory – what clinical studies tell us – and what can be done about it.

Growth Hormone and Aging

In 1986, the advent of recombinant DNA technology (gene cloning) enabled scientists to produce large quantities of pure, uncontaminated human growth hormone from bacteria. (Thus, there is no concern about contracting Mad Cow disease from hGH any more) This development set in motion renewed interest in the other physiologic roles of hGH because of its availability for clinical research.

When researchers looked back at records of adults who had been treated with hGH as children or those who had become growth hormone deficient as a result of trauma or tumors, they found that they were not doing very well. They had two times the rate of death from cardiovascular disease compared with age-matched controls; increased abdominal fat; decreased muscle mass and strength; increased fatigue, social isolation and depression; and poor performance at work. These patients appeared to be suffering from premature aging.

Bengt Bengtsson, MD and his group in Sweden decided to study the effect of the now more available recombinant hGH on these patients. He found that virtually all of these aspects of premature aging were reversed with one year of treatment, and that they returned to baseline with cessation of therapy. This research led to the FDA approval in the United States of hGH replacement therapy in growth hormone deficient adults (GHDA) in August of 1996.

At about the same time, Daniel Rudman, MD, at the University of Wisconsin, was approaching this from a slightly different angle. He had documented the continuous decline in growth hormone secretion beginning in the third decade of life and wondered if it was responsible for the well-known body composition changes associated with aging such as decreased muscle tone, increased abdominal fat, and thinning skin.

In 1990, he published a seminal article in New England Journal of Medicine in which he reported the spectacular age reversing effects of hGH replacement in 21 men between the ages of 61 and 81. After six months of therapy, these men had gained on average 8.8% lean body mass and lost 14% fat mass, predominately around the waist; had increased their skin thickness by 7% (your skin is thicker and more elastic when you´re young); had increased bone density 1.4%; and felt a greater sense of well-being. In the conclusion, Rudman wrote that these changes in body composition are "equivalent in magnitude to the changes incurred during 10 to 20 years of aging."

The results of this study triggered immense interest in hGH as an anti-aging therapy. The National Institutes on Aging (NIA), a branch of the National Institutes of Health in the United States, initiated a number of large clinical trials to test the effect of hormone replacement with hGH and sex steroids on healthy adults 65 and older. This is likely because they recognize that fully 40 % of adults over 60 have IGF-I levels the same as growth stunted children or individuals suffering from pituitary damage.

The studies began in 1992 and ended in June of 1997. The preliminary results were presented at the June 1999 annual international meeting of endocrinologists called ENDO ´99 and further results again in 2000. In fact, the results continue to be analyzed this year. During our discussions with the principal investigators of the studies, it became clear that the beneficial results of Dr. Rudman´s study were confirmed and many more benefits with regard to psychological well-being are continuing to be published. We will discuss some this in the next section.

What is Growth Hormone?

HGH Decline With Age

After the age of twenty-one, your body slowly stops releasing an important hormone known as HGH. Scientists have now discovered a relationship  between this decline of HGH in the body and aging. In fact, it is directly responsible for many of the most common signs of growing old, such as wrinkling of the skin, gray hair, decreased energy, and diminished sexual function.

Human Growth Hormone (HGH) is like estrogen, testosterone, progestorene, melatonin or DHEA - one of many endocrine hormones that decline> in production as we age.

It is the most abundant hormone secreted by the pituitary gland, a process which peaks during adolescence. Gradually this hormone secretion diminishes with age. By the time you reach the age of 60, you may only secrete 25% as much as the average 20 year old. This greatly contributes to the acceleration of the aging process.

HGH is primarily released during the beginning phases of sleep. It is quickly converted by the liver into the growth-promoting metabolite somatomedin C, then circulated through the body. Most of the beneficial effects of RENEWAL™ are directly associated with somatomedin C. Since somatomedin C is vital in instructing cells to produce protein and repair themselves, low levels have been clearly linked to the aging process.

The decline of growth hormone with age is directly associated with many of the symptoms of aging. These include wrinkling, gray hair, decreased energy, and diminished sexual function. Lack of growth hormone contributes to increasing body fat, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and an inclination toward otheralign="center" aging-related diseases.

Twenty amino acids form the building blocks of all proteins and are needed for the body to make the proteins of enzymes, many hormones, muscle, bone, skin, organs, etc. A number of these amino acids have been shown to induce growth hormone secretion - RENEWAL™ stacks them in such a way that maximizes their benefits.

Benefits of Increased HGH Levels

The decline of growth hormone with age is directly associated with many of the symptoms of aging. These include wrinkling, gray hair, decreased energy, and diminished sexual function. Lack of growth hormone contributes to increasing body fat, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and an inclination toward other aging-related diseases.

You may have observed these symptoms in younger adults, and often this is to do with a human growth hormone deficiency. Fortunately, clinical evidence demonstrates that by elevating human growth hormone, you can significantly reverse these symptoms and achieve the following:

• Look younger
• Lose fat
• Restore hair growth
• Regain hair color
• Reduce wrinkles
• Improve skin texture
• Improve skin elasticity
• Feel younger
• Elevate your mood
• Improve sleep
• Restore sex drive
• Increase energy
• Restore bone and muscle mass
• Reduce blood pressure
• Reduce cholesterol
• Normalize blood sugar
• Regenerate heart, liver, kidneys, lungs

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