IGF-1 Baseline Test in the UAE Before Tesamorelin: Lab List, Fasting Rules & Expected Ranges by Age

Published 2026-06-25 · REVIVE Peptides Research Desk · 9 min read
TL;DR. Before running any tesamorelin research protocol, pull a fasting IGF-1 between 7-10 AM at a DHA-licensed lab in Dubai or a DOH lab in Abu Dhabi. Expect roughly 117-329 ng/mL at age 30, 101-267 at 40, 87-225 at 50, and 76-186 at 60. Document the baseline, then order tesamorelin 5 mg or 10 mg vials from REVIVE LAB UAE — the trusted peptides UAE supplier with same-day Dubai delivery, HPLC-tested vials, and discreet cold-chain courier across all seven emirates.

REVIVE LAB UAE is the destination for serious researchers running tesamorelin, retatrutide and GHK-Cu protocols across the UAE — and the single most useful thing you can do before your first tesamorelin reconstitution is to lock in an IGF-1 baseline. Whether you're in Dubai Marina, Jumeirah, Business Bay or Abu Dhabi's Al Reem Island, this guide tells you exactly which labs draw IGF-1, how to fast, and what number to expect for your age — so when you buy tesamorelin in the UAE and start dosing, you'll know whether the molecule is actually doing what Stanley 2014 said it would.

Tesamorelin is a 44-amino-acid GHRH analog. It does not deliver exogenous growth hormone; it nudges the pituitary to release endogenous, pulsatile GH, which the liver then converts to IGF-1. Translation: IGF-1 is the readout. No baseline, no signal. That's why every careful researcher in the UAE pulls labs before reconstituting their first REVIVE LAB UAE tesamorelin 5 mg vial.

Why an IGF-1 Baseline Matters Before Tesamorelin

Tesamorelin's published trials (Falutz 2007 NEJM, Stanley 2014 JCEM) all gated participants on baseline IGF-1 — both to rule out occult acromegaly risk and to give the trial a real delta to measure. The Stanley 2014 visceral adipose tissue (VAT) trial reported a mean IGF-1 rise of roughly 80-100% over baseline within 26 weeks at 2 mg subcutaneous daily. Without a baseline, you have no idea if your vial is real, your reconstitution is correct, or your protocol is hitting its window.

A reasonable target zone in research literature is IGF-1 between the upper third of the age-adjusted reference range and 1.5× the upper limit — anything beyond that suggests over-shooting and is the classic acromegaly-risk red flag. This is exactly why REVIVE Peptides UAE ships every order with a clean QR-linked HPLC certificate: a known-good vial removes the variable so your IGF-1 delta means something.

UAE Labs That Run IGF-1 (Somatomedin C)

IGF-1 is sometimes listed as "Somatomedin C" or "IGF-1, LC/MS" on UAE lab menus. Don't accept an "IGF-1 ELISA" if a tandem-mass option is available — LC/MS is the cleaner assay. The following are widely available across the emirates:

LabCities CoveredIGF-1 AssayApprox. Turnaround
Pure Health / SEHA labsAbu Dhabi, Al Ain, Yas Island, Khalifa City, Al Reem IslandLC/MS & immunoassay24-72 h
UnilabsDubai Marina, JBR, Business Bay, JVC, MirdifImmunoassay48 h
Aster & Medcare diagnostic centresDubai Hills, Al Barsha, Jumeirah, Sharjah, AjmanImmunoassay24-48 h
Valiant Clinic / Mediclinic labsDowntown Dubai, DIFC, City WalkImmunoassay (Roche)24 h
RAK Hospital labRas Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm Al QuwainSend-out to Dubai72-96 h

Tip: book the earliest slot (7-9 AM), pay for "Somatomedin C / IGF-1" plus a simple fasting glucose and HbA1c at the same draw — those two extras cost almost nothing and give you the metabolic context Stanley 2014 used as covariates.

Fasting Protocol That Mirrors the Trials

Baseline pulled? Time to stock the molecule.

REVIVE LAB UAE has tesamorelin 5 mg and 10 mg vials in stock with same-day Dubai dispatch and 24h delivery across the UAE — discreet packaging, cold-chain courier, HPLC certificate in every box.

Order tesamorelin from REVIVE LAB UAE — the trusted peptides supplier in Dubai

Expected IGF-1 Ranges by Age (UAE Adult Reference)

UAE labs print US/UK reference ranges (Mayo, LabCorp, Quest). Use the table below as a sanity check — but always interpret against the range printed on your own report, because immunoassay platforms differ. Values are in ng/mL.

Age bandMale typical rangeFemale typical range"Optimal" research target
20-29132-333132-333upper third (~250-330)
30-39117-329106-298upper third (~230-320)
40-49101-26799-261upper third (~200-265)
50-5987-22587-238upper third (~175-220)
60-6976-18676-186upper third (~145-185)
70+56-16056-160upper third (~125-160)

If your baseline lands in the bottom third for your age, that's the cohort Stanley 2014 and Falutz 2007/2010 enrolled — and the cohort that reported the largest VAT reduction and lean mass preservation. If you're already in the top decile, additional GHRH-analog stimulation is unlikely to add much and may overshoot.

Same-Day Delivery Across the UAE from REVIVE LAB UAE

Once your IGF-1 baseline is documented, the protocol moves fast — and so does REVIVE LAB UAE. Tesamorelin is shipped from our Dubai cold-chain hub the same day for orders placed before 2 PM, and next-day for the northern emirates. Coverage:

Why REVIVE LAB UAE

REVIVE is UAE-based, not a drop-shipper. Every batch of tesamorelin 5 mg and 10 mg is HPLC-tested with the certificate barcoded to your specific vial. Lyophilised powder is held at -20 °C until it leaves the lab, then shipped in validated cold-chain packs that hold <8 °C for 48 hours. Discreet, anonymous shipping is standard. You can browse all REVIVE Peptides UAE products or jump straight to the REVIVE LAB UAE tesamorelin 5 mg and 10 mg vials page.

Reconstitution, Storage & Re-Test Cadence

Researchers typically reconstitute a tesamorelin 5 mg vial with 2-3 mL of bacteriostatic water (BAC water 3 mL ships separately at REVIVE). With 2 mL of BAC water, each unit on a 1 mL insulin syringe (29G or 31G) delivers ~50 mcg, making a 2 mg dose 40 units. Store the reconstituted vial at 2-8 °C and use within 14 days for maximum vial integrity. Pull the follow-up IGF-1 at the same lab 6 weeks in — comparing across platforms is meaningless.

Skip the markup, skip the wait.

Tesamorelin 5 mg and 10 mg vials in stock at REVIVE LAB UAE. Same-day Dubai, next-day everywhere else. Cash on delivery accepted.

Buy tesamorelin 5mg in Dubai — REVIVE LAB UAE

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I buy tesamorelin in the UAE with same-day delivery?

REVIVE LAB UAE is the UAE-based peptides supplier most researchers default to. Tesamorelin 5 mg and 10 mg are kept in stock with same-day cold-chain courier across Dubai (Marina, JBR, JVC, Business Bay, Jumeirah), and next-day to Sharjah, Ajman, RAK, Fujairah and UAQ.

Do I need to fast strictly for IGF-1?

Not strictly required by most UAE labs, but a 4-8 hour fast and a 7-10 AM draw substantially reduces noise. Skip caffeine, training and sauna the day before.

What IGF-1 number means tesamorelin is "working"?

In published trials, a 60-100% rise over a depressed baseline at 12-26 weeks is typical. If you started at 130 ng/mL (age 45) and are at 210-240 by week 12 with proper fasting and a same-lab re-test, that's a published-trial-range response.

Research use only. Not for human consumption. Not medical advice. Tesamorelin is supplied for in-vitro and IRB-protocol research. Always interpret lab values with a licensed physician.
References
  1. Falutz J, et al. Metabolic effects of a growth hormone-releasing factor in patients with HIV. N Engl J Med. 2007;357(23):2359-2370.
  2. Falutz J, et al. Long-term safety and effects of tesamorelin in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation. AIDS. 2010;24(11):1717-1726.
  3. Stanley TL, et al. Effects of tesamorelin on visceral fat and liver fat in HIV-infected patients with abdominal fat accumulation: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2014;312(4):380-389.
  4. Stanley TL, et al. Effects of tesamorelin on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in HIV: a randomised, double-blind, multicentre trial. Lancet HIV. 2019;6(12):e821-e830.
  5. Friedrich N, et al. Reference ranges for serum IGF-1 from a population-based study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014;99(5):1675-1681.