The Growth Hormone Controversy Gets Hotter
Dr. Thomas Perls says I’m a liar. He didn’t say it to my face but announced it on the CNN T.V. show last night (April 15). He also didn’t address his comment to me personally but rather explained that doctors who prescribe growth hormone to adults to improve their well being (see important notice below), lie to their patients.
Just for the record, I’ve been called a liar by people I respect a lot more than Dr. Perls. So I can shrug off his loudmouth comment, but it did raise my curiosity.
Why would doctors lie to their patients about growth hormone treatment? According to Dr. Perls it’s because growth hormone treatment in adults is a business and doctors are making lots of money giving growth hormone injections. I suppose not making much money on growth hormone treatment also makes me a lousy businessman. I’ve been accused of that too.
To be sure I heard Dr. Perls correctly, this morning I logged on the CNN website. What I found at the CNN website http://us.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/04/11/chasing.hgh/index.html is the following quote from his interview:
‘….”When [clinicians] indicate they’re not seeing any side effects, I simply do not trust them. They’re running a business.” He (Dr. Perls) sighs deeply. “Everyone should stop, because there really is, I think, significant risk of big problems down the road.”
Apparently the CNN editors decided to leave out the “lying” part of Dr. Perls statement.
I’m always suspicious of people who take heroic stands against the evil doing of doctors. Could Dr. Perls have an angle of his own? So I looked up Dr. Perls on the CNN website and found that he was involved with a private company conducting aging research. In fact if you want to volunteer for his research the CNN article from 2001 informs us, ” Perls would like to hear from you at Centagenetix, the new company he’s forming today.”
According to CNN in regards to Dr. Perls’ role in financing research into the genetics of longetivity; “…. (initial discoveries) have made it possible for MPM Capital, a biotech investment firm, to raise the venture capital for Centagenetix.” Recall that Centagenetix is the company Dr. Perls is forming. Later the article explains that among the altruistic activities in Dr. Perls day starting his own company takes a lot of his time; “… as Perls closes the deal on his new company and fields media and peer questions about his research, ” I’m thinking Dr. Perls is sounding more and more like an aggressive businessman promoting himself and his company.
Dr. Perls also wrote a book and runs a website. His book in entitled, Living to 100, Lessons in Maximizing Your Potential At Any Age and his website is http://www.livingto100.com/ Not that I am critical of people who run websites, write books and start companies but here is a man who accused other doctors of running a business which, in turn, requires the doctors to lie to their patients to make money. I am thinking Dr. Perls may have some experience of his own in these matters.
Perhaps one of our readers has more information about Dr. Perls than the CNN articles provide and can help shed some light on his apparent hypocrisy. I remain curious about this man and what is behind the scenes at CNN.
Important Notice: Hormones such as growth hormone, testosterone, and T3 are prescription drugs to be prescribed by a licensed professional within a doctor patient relationship. Prescribing or using growth hormone for the purpose of enhancing athletic performance, or using these hormones without a prescription is illegal and punished by fines and possibly jail. Metabolism.com and Dr. Pepper continue to support a lively debate about the appropriate use of these medications to help patients with true medical needs.
Gary Pepper, M.D.
Director, Metabolism.com
Coming soon on the blog by Dr. Pepper: Doctors who are creeps; be careful of the company you keeps.
