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Key Takeaways
- Adult growth hormone deficiency can affect body composition, bone and muscle health, and metabolism, but its symptoms can overlap with many other conditions.
- Diagnosing growth hormone deficiency typically involves medical history, IGF-1 testing, and, when appropriate, a growth hormone stimulation test.
- A random growth hormone blood test is generally insufficient because the hormone is released in pulses and levels can vary substantially throughout the day.
- Growth hormone stimulation tests measure how effectively the pituitary responds to a stimulus, with results interpreted according to factors such as age, body mass index, and the test used.





