IGF-1 analysis, adjustment and disease management of non-neurological and/or neurological conditions

A method of treating a stroke or Parkinson's disease in a human in need thereof consisting essentially of:

• a) obtaining a biological specimen from the human in need thereof;
• b) measuring the concentration of cyclic glycine-proline (cGP) and/or a ratio of cGP concentration to the total measured amount of IGF-1 in the biological specimen from the human in need thereof, as a biomarker for an active, concentration-dependent IGF-1 bioavailability in the biological specimen from the human;
• c) comparing either the measured cGP concentration and/or the ratio of cGP concentration to the total measured amount of IGF-1 in the biological specimen from the human to a standard, wherein the standard is based on data collected for a cGP concentration and/or a ratio of cGP concentration to total measured amount of IGF-1 in:
• (i) the stroke or Parkinson's disease human;
• and/or
• (ii) a human population of stroke or Parkinson's disease human patients to confirm whether or not the human has an altered cGP concentration and/or ratio of cGP concentration to the total measured amount of IGF-1 compared to the standard;
• d) selecting the human for treatment based on the measured cGP concentration or ratio of cGP concentration to total measured amount of IGF-1 compared to the standard;
• and
• e) administering a therapeutically effective amount of a blackcurrant extract to the selected human for treatment, wherein the therapeutically effective amount of the blackcurrant extract is a dose of 50 mg to 1000 mg of the blackcurrant extract to the selected human per day to effectively treat the stroke or the Parkinson's disease in the selected human.