Research

Hormonal

IGF-1 deficiency is a key pathophysiological factor in metabolic syndrome, and restoring physiological levels of IGF-1 via replacement therapy can improve insulin sensitivity, glucose homeostasis, and lipid metabolism.

If you have metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes and standard lifestyle changes aren't working, your body might be deficient in IGF-1, a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and fats. Restoring IGF-1 to normal, natural levels (not high doses) may help improve your body's sensitivity to insulin and metabolic health. This should only be done under medical supervision to ensure levels stay within a safe, physiological range.

ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Based on the available data we propose IGF-1 as a key hormone in the pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome; due to its implications in the metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids. Previous data demonstrates how IGF-1 can be an effective option in the treatment of this worldwide increasing condition. It has to distinguished that the replacement therapy should be only undertaken to restore the physiological levels, never to exceed physiological ranges.
Gabriel A. Aguirre et al. · Journal of Translational Medicine · 2016

Why this rating

The paper is a review of multiple studies (in vitro and in vivo) from 1963-2015, citing numerous animal models and some human data, but lacks a single large-scale randomized controlled trial conclusion.

Source

Insulin-like growth factor-1 deficiency and metabolic syndrome

Gabriel A. Aguirre et al. · Journal of Translational Medicine · 2016

DOI 10.1186/s12967-015-0762-z

narrative_reviewCited 295×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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