Impact of Fat Mass and Spleen Size on IGF-I Levels in Overweight Women
Author Information
Author(s): Silvia Savastano, Carolina Di Somma, Genoveffa Pizza, Annalba De Rosa, Valeria Nedi, Annalisa Rossi, Francesco Orio, Gaetano Lombardi, Annamaria Colao, Giovanni Tarantino
Primary Institution: Federico II University Medical School
Hypothesis
Fat mass, spleen volume, and C-reactive protein affect the IGF-I axis status in overweight/obese women, independently of hepatic steatosis.
Conclusion
Higher fat mass and spleen size are associated with lower IGF-I levels in overweight women.
Supporting Evidence
- 33% of subjects had metabolic syndrome.
- 85% of subjects had hepatic steatosis.
- IGF-I levels were significantly lower in patients with severe hepatic steatosis.
Takeaway
This study found that women with more body fat and larger spleens tend to have lower levels of a growth factor important for metabolism.
Methodology
The study assessed fasting plasma glucose, insulin, cholesterol, triglycerides, and other metabolic markers in overweight/obese women.
Potential Biases
The study excluded patients with type 2 diabetes, which may affect the assessment of metabolic syndrome prevalence.
Limitations
The cross-sectional design limits causal inferences, and the sample may not be generalizable beyond the studied population.
Participant Demographics
The study included 48 overweight/obese women with a mean age of 41 years and a BMI of 35.8 kg/m2.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.001 for FM% and IGF-I levels
Confidence Interval
95% CI 0.86 to 65.2 for odds ratio of metabolic syndrome prevalence
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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