ABSTRACT
Experimental and clinical studies have recently demonstrated that growth hormone-insulin like growth factor-1 [GH/lGF-1] system is involved in the regulation of cardiac structure and function. lGF-1 promotes favourable cardiac remodelling in heart failure. The aim of this study was to detect changes in lGF-1 levels in various grades of heart failure. The study included 59 patients with heart failure with different etiologies [rheumatic heart disease, dilated cardiomyopathy and ischemic heart disease]. Patients having endocrinai disorders have been excluded. The patients as well as a control group of 10 subjects were evaluated with history, clinical examination, laboratory routine investigations, ECG, chest X-ray, transthoracic echocardiography as well as determination of serum IGF-1 and IGFBPS levels. It was found that serum lGF-1 levels were reduced in patients with heart failure in comparison to control. There was significant negative correlation between lGF-1 levels and the severity of heart failure and the impairment of systolic function. The lGF-1 levels were not influenced by the aetiology of heart failure. It is suggested that the reduction of lGF-1 in patients with severe heart failure. might be a contributing factor to systolic dysfunction in those patients and could have potential therapeutic implications in those group of patients