Association of insulin-like growth factor 1 and metabolic parameters with mild subclinical hypothyroidism in obese boys

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and mild subclinical hypothyroidism (MSH) in obese boys and to assess whether the presence of MSH exacerbates cardiovascular risk factors in obesity. This study collected cross-sectional dataset covering 141 obese boys and 47 healthy non-obese boys. The obese group was further subdivided into two groups based on their serum Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) levels: the MSH group (n = 47) and the non-MSH group (n = 94). The MSH group exhibited significantly lower IGF-1 standard deviation score (IGF-1 SDS) and significantly higher Body Mass Index standard deviation score (BMI SDS) compared to the non-MSH group. Additionally, the MSH group demonstrated elevated triglycerides (TG) and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels relative to the non-MSH group, and the incidence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and metabolic syndrome (MS) were also higher in the MSH group than in the non-MSH group. The results of multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that lower IGF-1 SDS and higher BMI SDS are strongly associated with MSH in obese boys, independently of systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), GGT and uric acid. These findings underscore the clinical utility of IGF-1 SDS and BMI SDS as potential biomarkers for identifying MSH-related cardiovascular risks in obese pediatric populations, warranting targeted screening and intervention strategies.