Reduced levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 in patients with angina pectoris, positive exercise stress test, and angiographically normal epicardial coronary arteries

Serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentrations were found to be lower (p = 0.002) and insulin levels higher (p = 0.004) in patients with syndrome X than in healthy controls. There was an inverse correlation between insulin and IGF-1 blood levels (r = -0.54, p = 0.005), suggesting that the reduced IGF-1 levels may be involved in the impaired insulin sensitivity of patients with syndrome X.