Insulin-like growth factor-1 increases life expectancy

The structure of insulin-like growth factor-1 (insulin-growth factor 1, IGF-1) is similar to the structure of insulin. This hormone is synthesized by the liver and plays an important role in the growth process in childhood, and in the adult body shows an anabolic (enhancing protein synthesis) effect.

Dutch scientists from Erasmus Medical Center (Rotterdam), working under the guidance of Dr. Michael Brugts, examined 376 healthy elderly men aged 73 to 94 years. At the beginning of the study, the authors analyzed the composition of the participants' blood serum, after which they received information about their health status for 8 years.

Data processing has shown that the low activity of insulin-like growth factor-1 corresponds to a significantly higher mortality rate than the high activity of this hormone. Moreover, the results were more significant in relation to the risk of death from complications of diseases of the cardiovascular system.

The authors claim that the method they use to measure the activity of insulin-like growth factor-1 using bioassays is much more effective than other methods, including traditional immunochemical analysis. They emphasize that traditional methods do not reveal the relationship they found due to the removal of certain proteins, which prevents an adequate assessment of the biological activity of the hormone.

Portal "Eternal youth" www.vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of ScienceDaily

28.05.2008