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Michael West Discusses Growth Hormone Supplements and Age‑Dependent IGF‑1 Risks Michael West raised the question of whether growth hormone and IGF‑1 supplements slow, reverse, or accelerate aging, citing an observational analysis of 440,185 participants from the UK Biobank project. The study found that baseline IGF‑1 levels were linked to future disease and mortality in a U‑shaped, age‑dependent pattern, with the discussion posted on 2 сентября. Growth hormone exerts much of its effect through IGF‑1, a protein that participates in tissue growth and development. West argues that supplements of growth hormone and IGF‑1 actually speed up the overall aging process. The the 2021 article examined contradictory early findings: in younger cohorts high IGF‑1 was associated with better outcomes, whereas in older cohorts it was linked to worse outcomes. Researchers tested whether age changes the direction of this association by measuring IGF‑1 at baseline, relating it to later disease and death, and then repeating the comparison within age‑specific groups. For mortality, dementia, diabetes, vascular disease, and osteoporosis the association was U‑shaped: individuals with the lowest and highest IGF‑1 levels had higher risk than those with mid‑range levels. In contrast, for cancer higher IGF‑1 overall correlated with greater incidence of new cases. In younger age groups high IGF‑1 was tied to lower risk for several outcomes; with advancing age this protective link weakened, and high IGF‑1 levels became adverse for multiple outcomes. In experiments on old mice, IGF‑1 derived from young blood helped restore the protective blood‑brain barrier. The UK Biobank authors measured natural IGF‑1 levels in participants and later matched them to occurring diseases and deaths, while the mouse study altered the signal in specific tissue. They interpreted the pattern as an example of antagonistic pleiotropy—a trait that supports growth and development early in life may later contribute to disease. West discusses growth hormone supplements in relation to age, baseline IGF‑1 level, and the specific function for which the signal is intended to be enhanced. 🔗 Read original →