IGF-1 levels in the general population, heart failure patients, and individuals with acromegaly: differences and projections from meta-analyses-a dual perspective

Background: The complex relationship between insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels and heart failure (HF) is not fully understood, particularly across different populations and conditions. This meta-analysis aims to elucidate the dual perspectives of IGF-1 levels in the general population, HF patients, and individuals with treatment-na & iuml;ve acromegaly, highlighting IGF-1 as a biomarker and potential therapeutic target in HF management. Methods: Studies were searched across multiple electronic databases up to January 2024 and independently identified by reviewers. The outcomes were analyzed using RevMan 5.4 and STATA 15. Results: A total of 25 articles were ultimately included in the analysis. Six studies compared IGF-1 levels between HF patients and non-HF controls, revealing significantly lower IGF-1 levels in HF patients (mean difference -20.93; 95% CI -37.88 to -3.97; p = 0.02). This reduction was consistent across various HF subtypes and severities. In addition, individuals with intermediate IGF-1 levels had a lower risk of developing HF [risk ratio (RR) 0.78; 95% CI 0.74-0.83; p < 0.01] and HF-related mortality (RR 0.98; 95% CI 0.97, 0.99; p < 0.01) compared to those with low IGF-1 levels, suggesting a protective role for maintaining adequate IGF-1 levels. Conversely, treatment-na & iuml;ve acromegaly patients, characterized by excessively high IGF-1 levels, showed a significantly higher incidence of both diastolic HF [odds ratio (OR) 9.08; 95% CI 6.20-13.29; p < 0.01] and systolic HF (OR 13.1; 95% CI 6.64-25.84; p < 0.01), implicating supraphysiological IGF-1 levels in adverse cardiac outcomes. Conclusions: Our meta-analysis highlights the complex interplay between IGF-1 levels and HF. We found that reduced IGF-1 levels are commonly observed in HF patients and are associated with an increased risk of HF and higher HF-related mortality. Conversely, excessively high levels, as observed in acromegaly, are linked to a higher incidence of HF. Based on these results, it is recommended that cardiac function be closely monitored in patients with reduced IGF-1 levels and in those with acromegaly. These findings suggest that IGF-1 could hold potential prognostic value for risk stratification in HF.