A growth-hormone-driven marker tied to growth, metabolism, and ageing.
Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a hormone made mostly by the liver in response to growth hormone. It carries out many of growth hormone's effects on the body.
IGF-1 supports the growth and repair of bone, muscle, and other tissues. Because it stays steadier through the day than growth hormone, it is the best single blood marker of growth hormone activity.
A high IGF-1 can point to too much growth hormone, as in acromegaly, which causes the hands, feet, and facial features to enlarge. A low IGF-1 can reflect growth hormone deficiency, poor nutrition, or liver disease.
IGF-1 falls steadily with age, so a result is always read against an age and sex matched range. It also draws interest in longevity research, where lower levels in later life have been linked to longer lifespan in some studies.
Aniva reads your result against research-backed ranges, not just the lab's wide normal. The reference shown below is specific to this biomarker.
| Note | Serum IGF-1 (SI) |
| Strongly age dependent | roughly 13 to 50 nmol/L in young adults |
| Older adults | lower, often below 25 nmol/L |
Ranges are guidance only and depend heavily on age and sex, with levels highest in adolescence and falling with age. Always read your result against the age and sex matched range from your own lab. To convert, 1 ng/mL is about 0.131 nmol/L.
Age and sex are the biggest factors, so the result is always matched to them. Poor nutrition, fasting, liver disease, and an underactive thyroid lower it, while pregnancy raises it. Assays differ between labs, so results are not always comparable.
Best read with growth hormone, and with an age and sex matched reference. Dynamic tests are used when a growth hormone disorder is suspected.
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