A multi-cohort study of polymorphisms in the GH/IGF axis and physical capability: the HALCyon programme.

Journal article

BACKGROUND: Low muscle mass and function have been associated with poorer indicators of physical capability in older people, which are in-turn associated with increased mortality rates. The growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor (GH/IGF) axis is involved in muscle function and genetic variants in genes in the axis may influence measures of physical capability. METHODS: As part of the Healthy Ageing across the Life Course (HALCyon) programme, men and women from seven UK cohorts aged between 52 and 90 years old were genotyped for six polymorphisms: rs35767 (IGF1), rs7127900 (IGF2), rs2854744 (IGFBP3), rs2943641 (IRS1), rs2665802 (GH1) and the exon-3 deletion of GHR. The polymorphisms have previously been robustly associated with age-related traits or are potentially functional. Meta-analysis was used to pool within-study genotypic effects of the associations between the polymorphisms and four measures of physical capability: grip strength, timed walk or get up and go, chair rises and standing balance. RESULTS: Few important associations were observed among the several tests. We found evidence that rs2665802 in GH1 was associated with inability to balance for 5 s (pooled odds ratio per minor allele = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.82-0.98, p-value = 0.01, n = 10,748), after adjusting for age and sex. We found no evidence for other associations between the polymorphisms and physical capability traits. CONCLUSION: Our findings do not provide evidence for a substantial influence of these common polymorphisms in the GH/IGF axis on objectively measured physical capability levels in older adults.

Authors: Alfred, T; Ben-Shlomo, Y; Cooper, R; Hardy, R; Cooper, C

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: PloS one
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 1
• Pages: e29883
• Publication date: 2012-01-01
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029883
• EISSN: 1932-6203
• ISSN: 1932-6203
• Language: English
• Keywords: Insulin-Like Growth Factor II; Anthropometry; Humans; Postural Balance; Adult; Middle Aged; Sex Characteristics; Genotyping Techniques; Aging; Female; Health; HALCyon study team; Great Britain; Male; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Human Growth Hormone; Gene Frequency; Motor Activity; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; Signal Transduction; Genetic Association Studies; Aged; Hand Strength; Aged, 80 and over; Cohort Studies