Serum Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 Concentrations Are Reduced in Severely Obese Women and Raise After Weight Loss Induced by Laparoscopic Adjustable Gastric Banding

This study evaluated the serum levels of IGF-1 in a population of severely obese women before and after long-term weight loss obtained by laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB). Eighty obese women with body mass index (BMI) of more than 34 kg/m(2) and 80 unrelated age-matched lean controls were enrolled. IGF-1 serum levels were measured together with BMI, liver volume, and intra-abdominal fat thickness assessed by ultrasound. Evaluation was repeated 2 years after LAGB.