Tests for HGH insufficiency besides IGF-1? Or: chance in he** insurance will pay HGH?

[CB]

How do you assess, aside from IGF-1 levels, whether your body's own output of hGH sucks bigtime?

That is, what tests are there? (And for that matter, any rules of thumb short of tests.)

Further, has ANYONE's insurance covered HGH injections and if so what diagnosis or *other* persuaded them to do so?

[Janus]

If you're over 20 years old and you're 3'6" , you got a problem j/k

I dunno if there is tests....BUMP

[CB]

Thanks for the bump. I suppose it doesn't work out that if I'm twice twenty and not 7'2" I qualify?

[CB]

OK, found some interesting criteria:

(Much more at the link)...

So does anyone know approx. costs for glucagon or insulin tolerance testing?

---

Recommended criteria for selecting patients for growth hormone replacement

Defined somatotrophin deficiency with ITT or glucagon tests
Peak GH < 9mu/I following ITT
Peak GH < 9mu/I following glucagon test.
Patient already receiving full supplementation of other deficient hormones as required.
Clinical features of somatotrophin deficiency.
-Severely decreased QOL as assessed using the ‘Adult growth hormone deficiency assessment (AGHDA) questionnaire’.

and/or
-Reduced bone density of < -1 S.D which by WHO criteria would predict a relative fracture risk of > 2.5.

and/or
-Reduced exercise tolerance and adverse cardiovascular risk profile.

and/or
-Cardiac decompensation

http://www.endocrinology.org/sfe/gh.htm