Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The risk association between the insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF1) and cardiovascular risk is inconclusive in adults and under-explored in the pediatric population. We aimed to investigate the associations between serum concentrations of IGF1 and cardiovascular risk factors in obese children and adolescents.

Methods: Cross-sectional study. Clinical and metabolic evaluations including an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) were performed at fasting in 594 overweight an obese children and adolescents (295 males and 299 females). IGF1 levels were measured by Immulite and IGF-SDS for each age and gender subgroup was calculated and, then, divided into quartiles.

Results: Two hundred and thirty-nine subjects were in Tanner 1, 206 in Tanner 2 or 3, 149 in Tanner 4 or 5 stages, respectively. Subjects in the lowest quartile of IGF1 SDS were older (P<0.01) and with higher BMI (P<0.03) respect to the highest quartile. After correction for age, gender and pubertal stages, subjects in the highest quartile presented higher insulin levels at fasting (P<0.01), post-OGTT (P<0.03) and higher HOMA-index (P<0.01). No significance was detected for glucose, lipids or pressure with exception of higher triglycerides in the lowest quartiles of IGF-SDS in the crude (P<0.03) but not in the corrected models. Continuous IGF-I levels maintained the same associations observed for IGF SDS. Acanthosis index did not correlate with IGF-I levels.

Conclusions: IGF-I levels were directly associated with insulin levels and insulin resistance in obese children and adolescent irrespective of gender and puberty. The association with other cardiovascular risk factor observed in adults could be modulated by age.

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.