Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Higher IGF-1 levels found in overweight non-diabetic cats
By Miceli, D D et al.·Published in Domestic animal endocrinology·2024·Maimonides University·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Increased insulin-like growth factor 1 concentrations in a population of non-diabetic cats with overweight/obesity.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of overweight and obese cats in Buenos Aires were tested for a hormone called insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) to see if it was linked to a condition called hypersomatotropism (HST), which can cause weight gain. Out of 80 cats, about 8.75% had high IGF-1 levels, suggesting they might have HST, even though they weren't diabetic. Some of these cats also showed signs of pituitary gland enlargement, which is associated with HST. This study suggests that checking IGF-1 levels in overweight cats could help identify those at risk for this condition.
People also search for: overweight cat symptoms · cat pituitary gland problems · high IGF-1 in cats · cat acromegaly signs · how to help my obese cat
Abstract
Feline hypersomatotropism (HST) is typically associated with diabetes mellitus (DM), whereas HST without concurrent DM has only been reported in a few cases. Weight gain may be observed in cats with HST. The aims of this study were to evaluate circulating insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in non-diabetic cats with overweight/obesity, to screen this population for the presence of HST, and to assess whether there is a correlation between body weight/body condition score (BCS) and serum IGF-1 concentration in overweight/obese cats. In this prospective study, 80 overweight/obese cats from referral centers in Buenos Aires (Argentina) were evaluated. Serum IGF-1 was measured as part of the routine tests for overweight/obesity. Non-diabetic cats were included in the study if they had a BCS>6/9. Twenty-nine cats were classified as overweight (BCS 7/9), whereas 51 were classified as obese (BCS 8-9/9). Median serum IGF-1 concentrations of cats with BCS 7/9, 8/9, and 9/9 were 570 ng/ml (range 123-1456 ng/ml), 634 ng/ml (range 151-1500 ng/ml), and 598 ng/ml (range 284-2450 ng/ml), respectively. There was a positive linear correlation between serum IGF-1 concentrations and body weight (r= 0.24, 95% CI 0.01-0.44 P=0.03), and between IGF-1 and BCS (r= 0.27, 95% CI 0.08-0.44 P=0.004). In total, 8.75% (95% confidence interval 3.6-17.2%) of the cats with overweight/obesity had IGF-1 concentrations >1000 ng/ml. Pituitary enlargement was detected on computed tomography in 4/7 cases. These seven cats showed varying degrees of phenotypic changes consistent with acromegaly. A proportion of 8.75 % of overweight/obese non-diabetic cats from referral centers in Buenos Aires had serum IGF-1 concentration in a range consistent with HST in diabetic cats. Likewise, 5% of overweight/obese cats were likely to be diagnosed with HST, supported by evidence of pituitary enlargement. Serum IGF-1 concentrations were positively correlated with body weight and BCS in this population of cats. This study highlights the relevance of screening different populations of non-diabetic cats to increase the detection of HST/acromegaly.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38830275/