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Understand Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1)

Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1)

Hormone markers

What the test generally measures, and what to ask about it.

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Updated Jul 13, 2026

What is Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1)?

A hormone made mainly by the liver in response to growth hormone, reflecting how much growth hormone your body makes over time.

IGF-1 is produced mostly by the liver after growth hormone stimulates it, so it gives a steadier picture of growth hormone activity than measuring growth hormone directly. Higher levels can be associated with excess growth hormone, as in acromegaly, while lower levels can be associated with growth hormone deficiency, poor nutrition or liver problems. Levels naturally change with age, so results are read against age and sex ranges alongside other pituitary tests.

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References

Clinical "IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor-1) Test" MedlinePlus (NIH/NLM). medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/igf-1-insulin-like-growth-factor-1-test.

About our sources

Clinical / professional

Medical societies, specialty colleges, and professional associations whose consensus statements reflect clinical practice standards.

Peer-reviewed research

Original research articles and systematic reviews published in indexed journals and verified through PubMed or DOI.

History of updates

Published · Jul 13, 2026
First published, written and independently fact-checked against the cited sources.

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