People Born Without Growth Hormone Have Unique IGF-1 Patterns and Avoid Heart Disease | Research

The takeaway

A Brazilian cohort with congenital growth hormone deficiency shows altered IGF-I bioavailability yet maintains normal lifespan without premature atherosclerosis.

No heart disease despite risk factors
Congenital GH deficiency with obesity and high cholesterol but no premature atherosclerosis

What the researchers found

Congenital isolated GH-deficient individuals show severely reduced IGF-I and IGFBP-3 but altered IGF-I bioavailability, associated with no premature atherosclerosis and normal lifespan despite metabolic risk factors.

Why it matters

Understanding why GH-deficient people avoid heart disease despite metabolic risk factors could reveal new pathways for cardiovascular protection in the general population.

How the study worked

Characterization of IGF-I bioavailability in the Itabaianinha cohort with homozygous GHRH receptor mutation causing congenital isolated GH deficiency.

What this study cannot tell us

Unique genetic cohort — findings may not generalize to acquired GH deficiency or GH-normal populations. Small cohort inherent to rare genetic condition.

How to read the evidence

Unique natural experiment cohort — provides extraordinary biological insights but from a rare, non-generalizable population.

When this study was published

Published in 2026; continues long-running research on this unique Brazilian cohort.

The bigger picture

This natural experiment suggests that the growth hormone/IGF-I axis plays a more complex role in cardiovascular disease than previously thought, with potential implications for longevity research.

Questions still open

Could modulating IGF-I bioavailability reduce cardiovascular disease in normal populations?
Is the cardiovascular protection due to low GH, altered IGF-I, or other compensatory mechanisms?

Common questions

How can people without growth hormone avoid heart disease?

Despite obesity and high cholesterol, these individuals with congenital GH deficiency have altered IGF-I patterns that may protect their blood vessels from atherosclerosis — suggesting GH/IGF-I signaling plays a complex role in heart disease.

Could this help develop anti-aging treatments?

The Itabaianinha cohort's cardiovascular protection despite metabolic risk factors is of great interest to longevity researchers, as it suggests manipulating GH/IGF-I pathways could promote healthy aging.

Read the original research

IGF-I bioavailability in congenital isolated growth hormone deficiency.

European journal of endocrinology, 194(2), 136-145

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Campos, Viviane C; Aguiar Oliveira, Manuel H; Bidlingmaier, Martin; Yuen, Kevin C J; Salvatori, Roberto; Oliveira, Carla R P; Leal, Angela; Melo, Enaldo; Schilbach, Katharina; Frystyk, Jan; Schweizer, Júnia R O L. (2026). IGF-I bioavailability in congenital isolated growth hormone deficiency.. European journal of endocrinology, 194(2), 136-145. https://doi.org/10.1093/ejendo/lvag007