Dietary and lifestyle correlates of plasma insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3): the multiethnic cohort.

High circulating concentration of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and low circulating concentration of IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) have been associated with increased risk for breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. Building on previous work in the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC) showing significant differences in IGF-I levels across racial/ethnic groups, we investigated which lifestyle and dietary factors are associated with levels of IGF-I and IGFBP-3 in a random sample of 1,000 MEC participants, which included Native Hawaiian, African American, Japanese, Latino, and White men and women. Crude analyses confirmed the existence of differences in protein levels with race/ethnicity, sex, age, and body size. Reproductive, physical activity, smoking, and diet variables had less consistent effects. In multivariate analyses, IGF-I levels were lower and IGFBP-3 were higher in females versus males. IGF-I and IGFBP-3 declined with increasing age in both genders. Women in the highest quartile of body mass index showed depressed IGF-I and IGFBP-3 levels; in men, height was significantly positively associated with both proteins. In women, alcohol was directly associated with IGFBP-3. Both proteins were lowest among female Latinos. IGF-I was highest among female African Americans. In men, IGFBP-3 was lowest among African Americans. Overall, although these factors were statistically significant determinants of IGF-related protein levels, they did not explain much of the variation in these levels. A positive correlation was found between IGF-I levels (ng/mL) and colon cancer incidence rates (per 100,000) within the MEC by race/ethnicity for both sexes but not for either breast or prostate cancer.