More than half of growth hormone drugs are used for simple height growth, not disease
May 30, 2025
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According to a report by the Korea Institute of Health and Medical Sciences, an online survey of 991 guardians of children who have used growth hormone injections within the last five years found that 54.7% said the purpose of using the injections was 'Simple Key Growth Therapy'. At the time of starting injection use, the height was more than 50% of the standard kidney percentile by age, and 14.8% of children were larger than the average height of their peers.
Following 'Simple Key Growth Therapy', the purpose of using the injection was investigated in the order of 'Exceptive Hypothesis Treatment'(23.3%), 'Disease Treatment'(12.8%), and 'Preventive Key Growth Degradation'(8.4%) in the treatment of precocious precocious puberty.
As of 2023, the supply of growth hormone injections was about 480 billion won, which has increased by about 2.5 times over the past five years (2019-2023). As of 2023, 37,017 people were covered by health insurance benefits due to growth hormone deficiency or low growth, which has increased about seven to eight times over the past 10 years.
The average monthly cost of growth hormone injections was 37.8% of '500,000 to 800,000 won', and as of 2023, 65.4% were supplied to medical institutions in the metropolitan area such as Seoul (41.7%), Gyeonggi (20.0%), and Incheon (3.7%). In Seoul, three Gangnam districts, including Gangnam-gu (22.5%), Seocho-gu (10.2%), and Songpa-gu (7.1%) ranked first to third in the number of medical institutions.
The researchers say that "Growth hormone therapy has clear benefits when used appropriately in children with growth disabilities, but caution is needed when used for simple height growth."It is said that "social perception and institutional change will be needed"."
In fact, reports of serious abnormal cases related to side effects of growth hormone injections increased from 27 in 2014 to 106 in 2023.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
