Saturday, February, 11, 2012

Growth hormone stimulation test

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Arginine test; Arginine-GHRH test


Normal Values
  • Normal peak value -- at least 10 ng/mL
  • Indeterminate -- 5 - 10 ng/mL
  • Subnormal -- 5 ng/mL

(A normal value rules out hGH deficiency; in some laboratories, the normal level is 7 ng/mL.)

Note: ng/mL = nanogram per milliliter.

Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Talk to your doctor about the meaning of your specific test results.


What abnormal results mean

If this test does not raise GH levels, there is a reduced amount of hGH stored in the anterior pituitary.

In children, this results in growth hormone deficiency. In adults, it may be associated with panhypopituitarism or adult growth hormone deficiency.


Review Date: 09/13/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)