Growth Hormone
Private Growth Hormone testing in London for £88, measuring one fasting pituitary hormone marker with results in around 1 day.
Turnaround time
1 business day
Biomarkers count
1
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Overview of the Growth Hormone Test
The Growth Hormone blood test measures Growth Hormone, commonly abbreviated to GH, a hormone produced by the pituitary gland at the base of the brain.
The test assesses 1 specialist hormone marker: Growth Hormone (Fasting).
Growth Hormone has important functions throughout life.
In children and adolescents, it plays a central role in normal growth and development.
In adults, Growth Hormone contributes to the regulation of body composition, muscle tissue, bone metabolism and the way the body handles fat and glucose.
Unlike many routine blood markers, Growth Hormone is not secreted at a steady rate.
The pituitary releases GH in pulses, with concentrations changing considerably throughout the day and night.
Levels can increase during sleep, physical exercise, fasting and physiological stress.
This means that a single Growth Hormone measurement has important limitations.
A low value at one particular moment does not automatically indicate Growth Hormone deficiency.
Similarly, one raised value does not diagnose Growth Hormone excess or acromegaly.
Growth Hormone is therefore often interpreted alongside IGF-1, symptoms, other pituitary hormones and, when required, specialist dynamic hormone testing.
The exact biomarker measured by this test is Growth Hormone (Fasting).
It can provide useful information when GH measurement has been specifically requested as part of an endocrine or pituitary investigation.
What Does the Growth Hormone Test Check?
The test measures circulating Growth Hormone and can contribute to assessment of the pituitary Growth Hormone axis. This test measures 1 specialist biomarker.
Growth Hormone (Fasting)
Measures circulating Growth Hormone under the laboratory's defined collection conditions, supporting specialist assessment of pituitary GH secretion when interpreted alongside other endocrine investigations.
Who May Benefit From the Growth Hormone Test?
Growth Hormone testing is most useful where there is a specific endocrine reason for measuring GH rather than as a general wellness screen.
People undergoing investigation of pituitary function - GH is one of several hormones produced or regulated by the pituitary gland.
People with an abnormal IGF-1 result - Growth Hormone measurement may provide additional information when the GH-IGF-1 axis is being investigated.
People being assessed for possible Growth Hormone excess - GH testing can contribute to investigation where excessive secretion or acromegaly is suspected.
People being assessed for possible Growth Hormone deficiency - Specialist endocrine assessment may include GH alongside IGF-1 and dynamic stimulation testing.
People with a known pituitary disorder - Hormone testing can form part of broader monitoring where pituitary function may be affected.
People with several unexplained pituitary hormone abnormalities - A wider Pituitary Function Profile may be appropriate when multiple endocrine pathways require assessment.
Children or adolescents undergoing specialist growth assessment - Growth Hormone investigation may be used when abnormal growth patterns require endocrine assessment.
People specifically advised to measure GH by an endocrinologist - The result is most useful when interpreted in relation to the clinical question that prompted testing.
How to Prepare
Do not stop hormone treatment or prescribed medication simply to alter a Growth Hormone result unless this has been specifically directed by the clinician managing your endocrine investigation.
Because Growth Hormone secretion is pulsatile, the circumstances and timing of collection are important when interpreting the result.
Symptoms and Reasons to Consider the Growth Hormone Test
Possible Growth Hormone disorders can produce varied symptoms, but none are specific enough to diagnose a GH disorder without proper endocrine assessment.
Unexpected changes in growth during childhood - Abnormally slow or excessive growth may prompt specialist investigation of the GH axis.
Changes in facial or acral features - Enlargement of the hands, feet or facial features can occur with prolonged Growth Hormone excess.
Reduced muscle mass or altered body composition - These changes can occur with GH deficiency but have many other possible causes.
Unexplained pituitary hormone abnormalities - Multiple hormonal changes can suggest a broader pituitary disorder.
Headaches or visual symptoms with suspected pituitary disease - These symptoms require clinical assessment and may prompt hormone testing and imaging.
A raised IGF-1 result - Further Growth Hormone assessment may be required to investigate possible GH excess.
A low IGF-1 result in the appropriate clinical context - Additional endocrine testing may be considered, although IGF-1 can be low for reasons unrelated to GH deficiency.
Monitoring an established pituitary condition - Repeat hormonal measurements may form part of specialist follow-up.
A single Growth Hormone result cannot reliably diagnose or exclude Growth Hormone deficiency or excess because GH secretion is pulsatile.
Formal assessment may require IGF-1 measurement and specialist dynamic testing, such as stimulation or suppression testing, depending on the clinical question.
New visual disturbance, severe headache or other symptoms suggesting an acute pituitary problem require clinical assessment rather than relying only on a private GH result.
How to Book Your Growth Hormone Test
The Growth Hormone test can be booked privately for focused assessment of GH as part of a pituitary or endocrine investigation.
Choose the Growth Hormone
Select the individual Growth Hormone blood test online.
Select your sample collection option
Choose an in-clinic blood draw or professional home or hotel phlebotomy where suitable.
Attend your appointment
Follow the preparation instructions supplied and a trained healthcare professional will collect the required venous blood sample.
Laboratory analysis
Your sample undergoes laboratory measurement of Growth Hormone (Fasting).
Receive your results securely
Your authorised result is delivered securely and can be interpreted alongside IGF-1 and wider pituitary testing where appropriate.
When Will I Receive My Results?
The current live London Blood Tests page lists a turnaround of approximately 1 day after laboratory receipt for Growth Hormone.
The laboratory measures the Growth Hormone concentration and completes the required quality-control and authorisation procedures before releasing the result.
Turnaround begins when the specimen reaches the laboratory rather than necessarily from the exact time of collection.
The reporting time for one GH measurement should not be confused with the time required for a complete specialist endocrine investigation, which can involve additional blood tests or dynamic testing on separate occasions.
Understanding Your Results
A Growth Hormone result reflects the GH concentration present in the sample at the moment the blood was collected.
This is important because Growth Hormone secretion is pulsatile.
A low concentration may simply have been measured between natural GH pulses.
It therefore cannot, on its own, prove Growth Hormone deficiency.
When deficiency is genuinely suspected, endocrinologists may use stimulation testing to assess whether the pituitary can release an appropriate amount of GH under controlled conditions.
Similarly, a raised single result does not automatically establish Growth Hormone excess.
Investigation of acromegaly commonly includes clinical assessment and IGF-1, followed where appropriate by Growth Hormone suppression testing or another specialist protocol.
The Growth Hormone result should therefore be interpreted as one component of the GH-IGF-1 axis rather than as an isolated diagnostic result.
Why Book With London Blood Tests?
London Blood Tests provides private access to Growth Hormone measurement for people requiring focused pituitary or endocrine assessment.
Measures Growth Hormone directly - The test assesses the exact Growth Hormone (Fasting) biomarker listed for laboratory analysis.
Relevant to pituitary investigation - GH is produced by the pituitary gland and may be assessed alongside other pituitary-regulated hormones.
Can complement IGF-1 testing - IGF-1 often provides useful additional information because its concentration is more stable than pulsatile Growth Hormone.
Suitable for targeted endocrine assessment - The test can be arranged where a clinician has specifically requested a GH measurement.
Rapid laboratory turnaround - Results are currently expected approximately 1 day after laboratory receipt.
Professional blood collection - Clinic and suitable home or hotel phlebotomy appointments are available.
Broader pituitary testing is available - A Pituitary Function Profile can assess additional hormone pathways where appropriate.
Clear pricing - The Growth Hormone test costs £88.
Private Growth Hormone Blood Test in London
London Blood Tests provides private Growth Hormone testing for people requiring measurement of GH as part of an endocrine investigation.
The test costs £88 and assesses 1 specialist biomarker: Growth Hormone (Fasting).
Results are expected approximately 1 day after laboratory receipt.
Because Growth Hormone is released in pulses, this test is best interpreted alongside symptoms, IGF-1 and any additional pituitary or dynamic hormone investigations recommended for the clinical situation.