Birth Weight Modifies Link Between Adult IGF-1 Levels, T2DM

TUESDAY, March 2, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Birth weight modifies the association between adulthood levels of circulating insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and development of type 2 diabetes (T2D), with an inverse association seen among those with a birth weight ≥2.5 kg, according to a study published online March 1 in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care.

Tingting Geng, from the National University of Singapore, and colleagues examined the interaction between circulating IGF-1 and birth weight in relation to T2D in a cohort of 181,090 adults, aged 39 to 70 years, in the U.K. Biobank Study. A chemiluminescent immunoassay method was used to determine serum IGF-1 levels.

During an average follow-up of 9.9 years, the researchers identified 3,299 incident T2D cases. IGF-1 levels were inversely associated with T2D risk in a dose-dependent manner among participants with a birth weight ≥2.5 kg. In contrast, no significant association was seen among those with a birth weight <2.5 kg. There was no interaction noted for the genetic risk score of birth weight with IGF-1 levels in relation to T2D risk.

“Our data indicate that the relation between adulthood IGF-1 and T2D is significantly modified by birth weight,” the authors write. “Our findings highlight the importance of early-life risk factors in the development of the lifecourse prevention strategies targeting on IGF-1 and T2D.”

Abstract/Full Text