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IGF-1 Surrogate Monitoring

Meaning

IGF-1 Surrogate Monitoring is a clinical strategy that utilizes the measurement of Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) as a reliable indirect indicator for assessing the overall activity and secretion status of Growth Hormone (GH). Since GH is secreted in pulsatile bursts and has a very short half-life, direct measurement is impractical for routine clinical assessment. IGF-1, which is produced in response to GH and has a longer half-life, provides a stable, integrated metric of GH bioavailability and its downstream anabolic effects. This surrogate marker is crucial for evaluating growth, metabolic health, and the efficacy of certain hormone replacement therapies.