Abstract
Growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) have been suggested to
play a leading role in the development of diabetic retinopathy for more than three
decades [1]. At the time of writing, there is a substantial amount of experimental data supporting
a role of GH and IGF-I in the development of diabetic retinopathy, whereas clinical
trials have yielded variable results. However, both hormones, with IGF-I as the ringleader,
remain under suspicion as pathogenic agents. This mini-review will discuss the current
literature on the possible involvement of GH and IGF-I in the development of diabetic
retinopathy. Hopefully, the reader will agree that although the indictment against
GH and IGF-I has celebrated its 34th anniversary, it is still attractive from a scientific point of view.
Key words
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy - GH - IGF-I - Pegvisomant - Somatostatin analogues
- GH hypothesis
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J. Frystyk, M. D., Ph. D., D. M. Sc.
Medical Research Laboratory, Aarhus University Hospital
Norrebrogade 44 · 8000 Aarhus C · Denmark
Email: jan@frystyk.dk