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GH Suppression Test

Meaning

The GH Suppression Test, formally known as the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) for Growth Hormone, is the definitive dynamic endocrine test used to confirm the diagnosis of acromegaly or gigantism. This test relies on the fundamental physiological principle that a substantial glucose load should effectively suppress the secretion of Growth Hormone (GH) in healthy individuals. Failure of the serum GH level to suppress below a specific threshold after glucose administration indicates autonomous, unregulated GH secretion, which is the hallmark of a growth hormone-secreting pituitary tumor.