Relationship between circulating insulin-like growth factor-1 and blood pressure in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies

Objective: Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is an important factor related to cardiovascular disease. In recent years, studies have shown the involvement of IGF-1 and blood pressure (BP). Nevertheless, the results were inconsistent. Thus, the purpose of this study was to systematically evaluate the associations of circulating IGF-1 levels with BP in adults. Methods: Two reviewers independently searched and screened articles from the Pubmed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, CNKI, and WANFANG databases up to May 2020. A total of 12 studies that reported the correlation coefficients between IGF-1, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were included. Results: IGF-1 was significantly correlated with SBP [r = -0.15; 95% CI = -0.21, -0.08; P < 0.0001] and DBP [r = -0.10; 95% CI = -0.16, -0.05; P = 0.0004]. Subgroup analysis further revealed that the relationship between IGF-1 and BP was influenced by race and age. Conclusion: Circulating IGF-1 was negatively correlated with SBP and DBP. Further researches are necessary to explore the pathogenesis of this relationship and to evaluate the role of IGF-1 in the treatment of hypertension.

Automated summary

This study found a negative correlation between circulating IGF-1 levels and systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Subgroup analysis further revealed that the relationship between IGF-1 and BP was influenced by race and age. Further research is needed to explore the pathogenesis of this relationship and evaluate the role of IGF-1 in the treatment of hypertension.