Abstract

    Now affecting upwards of 1.7% of children born in the United States in 2018, a 15 percent increase in just the past two years, autism spectrum disorders (ASD) represents a significant, increasingly prevalent collection of neurodevelopmental disorders. (1-2) 

    Characterized by marked impairments in social interaction, communication, and abnormal repetitive and stereotypical behaviors, autism’s earliest sig, at 1-3 months and 6-14 months, is rapid head growth.  In our world, of course, rapid head growth results from elevated growth hormone (GH) levels. (3) GH levels are notoriously high in the autistic spectrum child.

    Yet numerous researchers report successful outcomes with IGF-1, the downstream active component of growth hormone therapy.

    And here is the disconnect. Adding IGF-1 should worsen the condition. It does not.  ASD patients’ inflammatory cytokine profile, on average, results in elevated IL-6 cytokines in the bloodstream and cerebrospinal fluid.  Excess growth hormone causes an elevation in Il-6.  Il-6 interferes with the GH/IGF-1 conversion.

    Remedies discussed include medications (including increlex (IGF-1), intranasal insulin, low dose naltrexone, verapamil (off label), pioglitazone (off label), and the statins) and herbs and supplements (including EPA/DHA, ECGC, Vitamin C, NAC, quercetin, luteolin, and rutin.