Associations of childhood and adulthood height and the components of height with insulin-like growth factor (IGF) levels in adulthood: 65 year follow-up of the Boyd Orr cohort.
Journal
Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
Date Issued
April 1, 2006
DOI
10.1210/jc.2005-1722
Abstract
Context: Taller individuals with longer legs have a higher risk of
cancer but a lower risk of coronary heart disease.
Objective: We investigated whether childhood height and its components
are associated with the IGF system in adulthood.
Design and Participants: We analyzed data from 429 participants
of the Boyd Orr cohort, for whom height measured in childhood (mean
age, 7.4 yr) in 1937–1939 could be related to levels of IGF-I, IGF-II,
IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-2, and IGFBP-3 in adulthood (mean age,
71.1 yr). In 385 participants, measured height in adulthood could be
related to IGF levels.
Results: In fully adjusted models (controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic
factors, lifestyle, and body mass index), childhood height and
its components were not associated with adult circulating IGF-I,
IGF-II, or IGFBP-2 levels. IGFBP-3 was 85.5 ng/ml higher (95%
confidence interval, 11.6 to 182.5; P 0.08) per SD increase in
childhood trunk length and 83.6 ng/ml lower (95% confidence interval,
10.3 to 177.5; P 0.08) per SD increase in childhood leg/trunk ratio.
Height in adulthood was not associated with IGF-I, IGF-II, or
IGFBP-3 and was inversely associated with IGFBP-2 (P 0.05) after
additionally controlling for childhood height.
Conclusion: There was no evidence that associations of childhood
height with cancer and coronary heart disease risk are mediated by
IGF-I in adulthood. The anthropometric associations with IGFBP-2
and IGFBP-3 could be chance findings but warrant additional investigation.
IGF levels in childhood may be more important determinants
of long-term disease risk than adult levels. (J Clin Endocrinol
Metab 91: 1382–1389, 2006)
cancer but a lower risk of coronary heart disease.
Objective: We investigated whether childhood height and its components
are associated with the IGF system in adulthood.
Design and Participants: We analyzed data from 429 participants
of the Boyd Orr cohort, for whom height measured in childhood (mean
age, 7.4 yr) in 1937–1939 could be related to levels of IGF-I, IGF-II,
IGF binding protein (IGFBP)-2, and IGFBP-3 in adulthood (mean age,
71.1 yr). In 385 participants, measured height in adulthood could be
related to IGF levels.
Results: In fully adjusted models (controlling for age, sex, socioeconomic
factors, lifestyle, and body mass index), childhood height and
its components were not associated with adult circulating IGF-I,
IGF-II, or IGFBP-2 levels. IGFBP-3 was 85.5 ng/ml higher (95%
confidence interval, 11.6 to 182.5; P 0.08) per SD increase in
childhood trunk length and 83.6 ng/ml lower (95% confidence interval,
10.3 to 177.5; P 0.08) per SD increase in childhood leg/trunk ratio.
Height in adulthood was not associated with IGF-I, IGF-II, or
IGFBP-3 and was inversely associated with IGFBP-2 (P 0.05) after
additionally controlling for childhood height.
Conclusion: There was no evidence that associations of childhood
height with cancer and coronary heart disease risk are mediated by
IGF-I in adulthood. The anthropometric associations with IGFBP-2
and IGFBP-3 could be chance findings but warrant additional investigation.
IGF levels in childhood may be more important determinants
of long-term disease risk than adult levels. (J Clin Endocrinol
Metab 91: 1382–1389, 2006)
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