Association between IGF-1 levels and markers of nutritional status and inflammation in long-livers

BACKGROUND. Nutritional status plays a key role in determining the functional state of older adults. According to global literature, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a reliable biomarker of nutritional status. However, IGF-1 measurement has not yet been integrated into routine clinical practice, and studies investigating its associations with other nutritional markers in long-lived individuals remain limited. Understanding these relationships is particularly important for gaining deeper insights into the metabolic processes influencing health and functional status in advanced age.
OBJECTIVE: to assess the association between IGF-1 levels and markers of nutritional status and inflammation in long-livers.
MATERIALS AND METHODS. It was a cross-sectional study on the cohort of long-livers. The search for participants was carried out with the involvement of social services, nursing homes, geriatric centers, and other geriatric services. The study was reviewed by the ethics committee (№ 30 24.12.2019). The statistical analysis was performed using R version 4.4.0.
RESULTS. The study included 1 450 individuals aged 90 to 104 years who met the inclusion criteria. The median age of the participants was 92 years, and the median IGF-1 level was 101 ng/mL. Regression analysis revealed that higher IGF-1 levels were associated with increased concentrations of hemoglobin, total protein, albumin, creatinine, total cholesterol, vitamin D, and leptin. Conversely, IGF-1 levels were negatively associated with ferritin, Creactive protein, and estimated glomerular filtration rate.
CONCLUSIONS. The findings indicate that IGF-1 is associated with key markers of protein and lipid metabolism, iron status, and inflammation. The strongest inverse association was observed between IGF-1 and ferritin levels, suggesting a potential role of IGF-1 in iron metabolism regulation. However, most of the observed associations, while statistically significant, lack strong clinical relevance. These relationships warrant further investigation in longitudinal studies.

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