* Lose fat, gain muscle

* Increase energy level

* Increase immune function

* Enhance sexual performance

* Increase cardiac output

* Improve skin elasticity

* Remove wrinkles

* Eliminate cellulite

* Improve vision

* Increase memory retention

* Improve quality of sleep

* Increase exercise performance

* Lower blood pressure

* Improve cholesterol profile

* Increase bone mass

* Quicken wound healing

Growth hormone (GH) is a peptide hormone. It stimulates growth and cell reproduction in humans and other animals. It is a 191-amino acid, single chain polypeptide hormone which is synthesized, stored, and secreted by the somatotroph cells within the lateral wings of the anterior pituitary gland. Somatotrophin refers to the growth hormone produced natively in animals, the term somatropin refers to growth hormone produced by recombinant DNA technology and is abbreviated "rhGH" in humans.

GH can be used to treat conditions which produce short stature but are not related to deficiencies in GH, though results are not as dramatic when compared to short stature solely due to deficiency of GH. Examples of other causes of shortness often treated with GH are Turner syndrome, chronic renal failure, Prader-Willi syndrome, intrauterine growth retardation, and severe idiopathic short stature. Higher ("pharmacologic") doses are required to produce significant acceleration of growth in these conditions, producing blood levels well above physiologic. Despite the higher doses, side effects during treatment are rare, and vary little according to the condition being treated.

GH treatment improves muscle strength and slightly reduces body fat in Prader-Willi syndrome, which are significant concerns beyond the need to increase height. GH is also useful in maintaining muscle mass in wasting due to AIDS. GH can also be used in patients with short bowel syndrome to lessen the requirement for intravenous total parenteral nutrition.