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American Morning
Paging Dr. Gupta: Human Growth Hormone Safety
Aired August 18, 2003 - 08:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Medical news now. Using human growth hormone to make otherwise healthy children grow taller has been OK'd by government regulators. Now there are questions about the long-term safety of using such drugs.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the CNN center with more on this controversy.
Good to see you, Sanjay. Happy Monday.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Happy Monday to you.
Yes, it's a really interesting issue. It's been out there for some time now. As you say, human growth hormone to be used again, as you say, for otherwise healthy children. They no medical problems; they are simply short. And specifically, what they're talking about here boys who are not expected to grow taller than 5'3" tall, or girls not expected to grow taller than 4'11". A little bit of background, first of all. These shots, they are shots, not pills, $20,000 a year in costs about is what they estimate they will cost. It could be several years that a child would actually need these to grow tall, and oftentimes require several shots a week.
So not an easy process and not clear at this point, either, Bill, whether or not insurance would cover these sorts of things.
A human growth hormone has been around for some time. It's been around for some time to treat people who have growth hormone deficiencies, that is they're not producing enough of it.
And as a result of that, they get all sorts of different side effects from this particular medication as well.
There are particular problems that have been associated with human growth hormone, given mainly to adults in the past. Take a look at the list now. Misshapen hands and face. People oftentimes people get a lantern sort of face. They're face actually looks like a lantern. Enlarged liver, kidneys and heart. Obviously, those are more serious problems. Metabolic changes within the body, as well as possible increased cancer risks.
I will point out, Bill, there are a couple of trials actually looking at children who took the human growth hormone before it was approved for this particular use, and the few years these children were taking the human growth hormone, they did not have these significant problems. I can tell you as well, the average rate of growth, increase in growth, I should say was about an inch and a half on average for the low dose human growth trial, and up to four inches for the high dose human growth trial. A lot of people sort of balancing all those things. It's going to be a decision facing thousands of parents over the next few months to decide whether or not to give their children this particular medication -- Bill.
HEMMER: And that's part of the debate. Adults use it, too. Body builders use it in some cases. Others claim that it has anti- aging effects. Is there proof to that?
GUPTA: Well, it's interesting, Bill. Human growth hormone was at one time touted as fountain of youth -- it's going to make your skin tighter, it's going to make your hair darker, it's going to make you feel more energetic. A lot of people say that is still true. The problem is a lot of the side effects I just listed there for you are the counterbalance of that. What price are you willing to pay in terms of your own health to take this human growth hormone. I've talked to doctors who prescribed human growth hormone, and there are people who love it, thing it does all those things, and they haven't had those side effects, but there are many stories as well.
I think it's going to be a very individual decision that people are going to have to make with their doctors on this particular issue.
But remember, this is -- the situation we're talking about here is not for unhealthy children. This is For totally healthy children. They don't have problems. And could you potentially subject them to these medical risks? That's a very tough one for a lot of parents -- Bill.
HEMMER: Doctor, thanks. Sanjay Gupta, a piece in this edition of time magazine. The blackout cover of "Time."
Thank you, Sanjay. Talk to you later.
GUPTA: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired August 18, 2003 - 08:45 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Medical news now. Using human growth hormone to make otherwise healthy children grow taller has been OK'd by government regulators. Now there are questions about the long-term safety of using such drugs.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the CNN center with more on this controversy.
Good to see you, Sanjay. Happy Monday.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning. Happy Monday to you.
Yes, it's a really interesting issue. It's been out there for some time now. As you say, human growth hormone to be used again, as you say, for otherwise healthy children. They no medical problems; they are simply short. And specifically, what they're talking about here boys who are not expected to grow taller than 5'3" tall, or girls not expected to grow taller than 4'11". A little bit of background, first of all. These shots, they are shots, not pills, $20,000 a year in costs about is what they estimate they will cost. It could be several years that a child would actually need these to grow tall, and oftentimes require several shots a week.
So not an easy process and not clear at this point, either, Bill, whether or not insurance would cover these sorts of things.
A human growth hormone has been around for some time. It's been around for some time to treat people who have growth hormone deficiencies, that is they're not producing enough of it.
And as a result of that, they get all sorts of different side effects from this particular medication as well.
There are particular problems that have been associated with human growth hormone, given mainly to adults in the past. Take a look at the list now. Misshapen hands and face. People oftentimes people get a lantern sort of face. They're face actually looks like a lantern. Enlarged liver, kidneys and heart. Obviously, those are more serious problems. Metabolic changes within the body, as well as possible increased cancer risks.
I will point out, Bill, there are a couple of trials actually looking at children who took the human growth hormone before it was approved for this particular use, and the few years these children were taking the human growth hormone, they did not have these significant problems. I can tell you as well, the average rate of growth, increase in growth, I should say was about an inch and a half on average for the low dose human growth trial, and up to four inches for the high dose human growth trial. A lot of people sort of balancing all those things. It's going to be a decision facing thousands of parents over the next few months to decide whether or not to give their children this particular medication -- Bill.
HEMMER: And that's part of the debate. Adults use it, too. Body builders use it in some cases. Others claim that it has anti- aging effects. Is there proof to that?
GUPTA: Well, it's interesting, Bill. Human growth hormone was at one time touted as fountain of youth -- it's going to make your skin tighter, it's going to make your hair darker, it's going to make you feel more energetic. A lot of people say that is still true. The problem is a lot of the side effects I just listed there for you are the counterbalance of that. What price are you willing to pay in terms of your own health to take this human growth hormone. I've talked to doctors who prescribed human growth hormone, and there are people who love it, thing it does all those things, and they haven't had those side effects, but there are many stories as well.
I think it's going to be a very individual decision that people are going to have to make with their doctors on this particular issue.
But remember, this is -- the situation we're talking about here is not for unhealthy children. This is For totally healthy children. They don't have problems. And could you potentially subject them to these medical risks? That's a very tough one for a lot of parents -- Bill.
HEMMER: Doctor, thanks. Sanjay Gupta, a piece in this edition of time magazine. The blackout cover of "Time."
Thank you, Sanjay. Talk to you later.
GUPTA: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
