What causes high IGF levels?

Higher than normal levels of IGF-1 may mean gigantism in children or acromegaly in adults. Gigantism and acromegaly are most often caused by a tumor in the pituitary gland, a small organ in the base of the brain that controls many functions, including growth.

What happens when IGF-1 levels get too high?

Increased secretion of GH and IGF-1 leads to abnormal glucose regulation, causing diabetes mellitus. A defect in lipid metabolism is also observed in some patients with acromegaly. The high level of IGF-1 in acromegaly is related to an increased risk of some cancers, particularly colon cancer and thyroid cancer.

What health problems are linked to high amounts of IGF-1?

The side effects of IGF-1 may be similar to those of other growth hormones. These include overgrowth of body tissues, known as acromegaly, and damage to the joints, liver, and heart. IGF-1 can cause your blood glucose levels to drop.

How do you treat high IGF-1?

To help lower your GH and IGF-1 levels, treatment options typically include surgery or radiation to remove or reduce the size of the tumor that is causing your symptoms, and medication to help normalize your hormone levels.

What happens if you have too much growth hormone?

When you have too much growth hormone, your bones increase in size. In childhood, this leads to increased height and is called gigantism. But in adulthood, a change in height doesn’t occur. Instead, the increase in bone size is limited to the bones of your hands, feet and face, and is called acromegaly.

Why do I have big hands and feet?

Acromegaly is a rare condition where the body produces too much growth hormone, causing body tissues and bones to grow more quickly. Over time, this leads to abnormally large hands and feet, and a wide range of other symptoms. Acromegaly is usually diagnosed in adults aged 30 to 50, but it can affect people of any age.

Does IGF-1 cause weight gain?

The weight gain that you will experience from the use of IGF-1 is not due to water weight. All your weight gain will be caused by actual muscle growth, which is a long-term effect.

What are the effects of too much growth hormone?

Too much growth hormone can cause gigantism in children, where their bones and their body grow too much. In adults, it can cause acromegaly, which makes the hands, feet and face larger than normal. Possible treatments include surgery to remove the tumor, medicines, and radiation therapy.

Is Laron syndrome dwarfism?

Laron dwarfism type 1 is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by target resistance to the action of GH (Figure 83-1). Laron and colleagues described a syndrome with the clinical features of pituitary dwarfism, associated with high plasma concentrations of immunoreactive GH (Figure 83-12;OMIM 262500; Table 83-3).

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