Hormone Similar To Insulin Is Behind Skin Wrinkles, Says Dr. Saad Al Sogair
During his contribution at the 20th World Congress of Aesthetic Medicine in Miami
MIAMI, Nov. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- A new breakthrough was announced at the 20th World Congress of Aesthetic Medicine in Miami, hosted by the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine (AAAM). Dr. Saad Sami Al Sogair, a Saudi dermatologist, presented new evidence that a hormone known as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is largely behind aging and wrinkled skin.
While the science behind the discovery is complex, the general implication is that maintaining higher levels of IGF-1 can keep skin and other organs from aging as rapidly. IGF-1 is similar in molecular structure to insulin. It plays an important role in childhood growth reaching its peak during adolescent years. IGF-1, which consists of 70 amino acids in a single chain, is produced by the body throughout life, but amounts decrease as the body ages. The lowest levels are seen during old age and infancy.
"We found that lower levels of IGF-1 lead to higher mortality rate, cognitive decline, risk of heart disease, frailty, and weaker grip strength. In short, the decline of IGF-1 is a significant part of aging," Dr. Al Sogair said.
The implication could be that increasing the hormone would delay aging while helping the body to repair itself. Dr. AlSogair concluded, "The present study shows that higher levels of IGF-1 were associated with a lower perceived age and a lower degree of skin wrinkling, independent of confounding factors."
IGF-1 stimulates systemic body growth. It has growth-promoting effects on almost every cell in the body, especially skeletal muscle, cartilage, bone, liver, kidney, nerves, skin, hematopoietic cell, and lungs. Perhaps even more interesting, IGF-1 can regulate cell growth and development and is particularly important in nerve cells. This may have implications for people to stay mentally active well into advanced age. It may also offer solutions for those who are experiencing cognitive decline.
Dr. Michel Delune, president of the AAAM, said: "The interest in finding new and more effective ways to slow or reduce facial aging is understandably high. For me, this was one of the highlights of the 20th World Congress of Aesthetic Medicine. I very much look forward to see more of Dr. Sogair's work and commentary in the future, as he is currently the only representative of Saudi Arabia and the GCC in the conference with two appreciable papers."
Contact:
American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine
3151 Barkentine Road
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
Shermaine Chiu
Email (415) 637-5458
Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151113/287167
SOURCE American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine
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