subject: Igf-1 Helps Diabetes [print this page] Two 1997 double-blind clinical studies showed that recombinant Iff-1 injections can markedly reduce the need for insulin by up to 45 percent in patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. One study involved eight adults between ages twenty-four and forty-nine and the other forty-three children and adolescents between the ages of eight and seventeen.
In the adult trial, Igf-1 also lowered the total cholesterol and triglycerides after only four days of treatment. Human growth hormone is a close chemical relative to pro-insulin, from which insulin is made in the body, which may help explain why it is effective in lowering blood sugar. In addition, the normal hormonal balance between growth hormone and Igf-1 is impaired in diabetics, so that growth hormone levels are high and growth hormone levels are low.
Daily injections of recombinant growth hormone restore the balance, which in turn appears to improve insulin sensitivity. While these were short-term trials lasting nineteen days and four weeks, respectively, the fact that the insulin requirement dropped markedly and there were no serious side effects make Igf-1 a promising drug for the treatment of diabetes. While it does not do away with the4 need for insulin, it improved the control of blood sugar and thus may help prevent the dire complications of diabetes, including heart decease, blindness, and peripheral nerve damage that can lead to amputation. Again, more study is needed to determine the optimal dosage of growth hormone and its long-term effects.
One of the most exciting potential uses of growth hormone is the repair of peripheral nerve tissue that has been damaged by injury or illness. If a nerve is torn in the arm or leg, it means that the connection to the muscle may be impaired, and as result there is loss of movement and the muscle atrophies. While the peripheral nerves can regenerate to some extent, severe tears of more than a few millimeters may result in permanent injury.
As its name indicates IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1), has properties similar to insulin, and it has been shown to improve blood sugar profiles in type 2 diabetics. High doses of HGH have been shown to increase insulin resistance, but IGF-1 administration has actually normalized the insulin resistance in a group of healthy volunteers.
