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Starting Blood Tests

PostPosted: 16 May 2013, 05:56
by Noexcuses
Hi everyone, I started the 5:2 diet last Thursday and before I started I had all my blood tests done. I am just trying to get some info about IGF-1. I have read Michael's book and looked at his blood test results but they seem to be in a different to my results, maybe they are different in Australia? My IGF-1 says 41 nmol/L is this high/low? On the results I got it suggests that the range is 12-42......
Thanks

Re: Starting Blood Tests

PostPosted: 16 May 2013, 06:26
by CreakyPete
Hi Noexcuses - I just checked my copy of the book, the units are the same but the range MM quotes is 11.3 - 30.9 nmol/l

The problem is that almost none of us in the UK have had the IGF-1 test done because the NHS will not offer it and it is expensive otherwise, but I expect Carorees will be along shortly to help and advise... Sorry this is not much use!

Re: Starting Blood Tests

PostPosted: 16 May 2013, 07:21
by dominic
Welcome to the forum Noexcuses and well done for getting all your tests done before you started. I wish I had done the same! I started a topic about this a while ago (to encourage people to take all possible measurements before they start) but I don't think it has changed the world yet.

Your measurement (like Dr Mosley's) is for total IGF-I (aka IGF1, IGF-1). Most IGF-I in the blood is actually inactive because it is bound to 'binding proteins' in particular IGF-BP3, and it is only the active IGF-I which can pass on the 'grow grow grow' signals to cells and hence be potentially carcinogenic. Active IGF-I is often less than 1% of total IGF-I. So how important is total IGF-I as a figure? I don't think anyone really knows.

Although Dr Mosley did lower his total IGF-I significantly during his initial period of 5:2, we've not seen any confirmation of these results in a trial or indeed anecdotally. It is possible that IGF-I may be reduced more by reduced protein intake than by the limited fasting intervention of 5:2, although as you know from the book/programme much longer fasting does reduce total IGF-I dramatically (but then it also involves zero protein intake!)

I hope you get on well with 5:2 and if so please let us know here in due course how your bloods have changed after following it! If you felt able, it might be good to keep a food diary or at least have some sort of record of what you have been eating as well as how much - I don't think Dr Mosley did this so it makes it harder to speculate on why his IGF-I went down...

Re: Starting Blood Tests

PostPosted: 16 May 2013, 08:45
by PhilT
Noexcuses wrote: Hi everyone, I started the 5:2 diet last Thursday and before I started I had all my blood tests done. I am just trying to get some info about IGF-1. I have read Michael's book and looked at his blood test results but they seem to be in a different to my results, maybe they are different in Australia? My IGF-1 says 41 nmol/L is this high/low? On the results I got it suggests that the range is 12-42......
Thanks


41 nmol/l is 41/0.131 = 313 ng/ml (or microgram per litre) which is fairly high, double the measured levels in Harvie's 2-day diet trial.

Suggested ranges :-

Adults Male range, Mean, Female range, Mean
21 – 30 Years: 155 – 432 289 87 – 368 237
31 – 40 Years: 132 – 333 226 106 – 368 225
41 – 50 Years: 121 – 237 160 118 – 298 205
51 – 60 Years: 68 – 245 153 53 – 287 172
61 – 70 Years: 60 – 220 132 75 – 263 180
71 – 80 Years: 36 – 215 131 54 – 205 156

viewtopic.php?f=10&t=3007

Re: Starting Blood Tests

PostPosted: 23 May 2013, 01:51
by Noexcuses
Thanks everyone appreciate the input