Abstracts of the 2023 Annual Meeting of the ALEH
More infoInsulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a hepatokine that has a protective effect on fatty liver. Previous studies in healthy subjects suggest that isocaloric exercise (with neutral caloric balance) would increase serum levels of IGF-1. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of moderate isocaloric exercise (ICBE) and negative caloric balance exercise (NCBE) on serum levels of IGF-1 in subjects with initial and advanced (F3-4) MAFLD (Metabolic Associated Fatty Liver Disease).
Materials and MethodsProspective trial in postmenopausal women undergoing supervised and standardized exercise at moderate intensity (1 hour, 3 times per week). The study includes subjects with initial MAFLD (F0-2 Fibroscan <8 kPa) and advanced MAFLD (F3-4, Fibroscan >8 kPa). The protocol consisted of an initial two-week period of ICBE (with nutritional supplement) followed by two weeks of NCBE (without supplement). Using the t-student test for paired samples, the change was analyzed pre vs. post-protocol, and the comparison between groups used the analysis for unpaired samples.
ResultsWe recruited 27 subjects (20 non-advanced MAFLD and 7 advanced MAFLD). We demonstrated that: (1) Exercise did not significantly increase IGF-1 levels in MAFLD; (2) There was a tendency for subjects with initial MAFLD to have higher IGF-1 levels than subjects with advanced MAFLD before and after exercise, which became significant after 2 weeks of exercise (F0-2 67.9 + 6.4 (ng/mL) versus F3-4 41.2 + 5.3 (ng/mL), p 0.047); and (3) There were no significant differences in IGF-1 levels between ICBE and NCBE (figure 1).
ConclusionsSubjects with advanced MAFLD tend to have lower IGF-1 levels than subjects with initial MAFLD, which becomes significant after 2 weeks of exercise. This suggests that the response to exercise in terms of changes in hepatokines (IGF-1) varies depending on the stage of the disease.
