<P> Surgical removal is the usual treatment for GH - producing tumors . In some circumstances, focused radiation or a GH antagonist such as pegvisomant may be employed to shrink the tumor or block function . Other drugs like octreotide (somatostatin agonist) and bromocriptine (dopamine agonist) can be used to block GH secretion because both somatostatin and dopamine negatively inhibit GHRH - mediated GH release from the anterior pituitary . </P> <P> The effects of growth hormone (GH) deficiency vary depending on the age at which they occur . Alterations in somatomedin can result in growth hormone deficiency with two known mechanisms; failure of tissues to respond to somatomedin, or failure of the liver to produce somatomedin . Major manifestations of GH deficiency in children are growth failure, the development of a short stature, and delayed sexual maturity . In adults, somatomedin alteration contributes to increased osteoclast activity, resulting in weaker bones that are more prone to pathologic fracture and osteoporosis . However, deficiency is rare in adults, with the most common cause being a pituitary adenoma . Other adult causes include a continuation of a childhood problem, other structural lesions or trauma, and very rarely idiopathic GHD . </P> <P> Adults with GHD "tend to have a relative increase in fat mass and a relative decrease in muscle mass and, in many instances, decreased energy and quality of life". </P> <P> Diagnosis of GH deficiency involves a multiple - step diagnostic process, usually culminating in GH stimulation tests to see if the patient's pituitary gland will release a pulse of GH when provoked by various stimuli . </P>

When does the body produce human growth hormone