[Cardiac function and the skin microcirculation in acromegaly].

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Cardiology
• Microcirculation Research

Context:

• Acromegaly, a condition of excess growth hormone, can lead to cardiovascular complications.
• Assessing microcirculatory function is crucial for understanding disease impact and treatment efficacy.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the utility of nail-fold capillary video microscopy in assessing microcirculatory function in acromegaly patients.
• To determine if microcirculatory parameters correlate with disease activity or cardiovascular abnormalities in acromegaly.

Summary:

• Nail-fold capillary video microscopy parameters (capillary density, torque index, reactive hyperemia, epidermal blood flow) were assessed in 21 acromegaly patients.
• Elevated growth hormone and somatomedin C levels were observed in 10 patients despite prior treatment.
• Cardiac abnormalities, including myocardial thickness increase and left ventricular dysfunction, were present in several patients, independent of hypertension.
• Microscopy findings did not differentiate between successfully treated and untreated patients or correlate with disease duration.

Impact:

• Nail-fold capillary video microscopy may not be a sensitive tool for monitoring acromegaly treatment response or microcirculatory status.
• Abnormal cardiac function in acromegaly is not primarily caused by inadequate capillary blood flow.
• Further research is needed to identify reliable biomarkers for microcirculatory changes and cardiovascular risk in acromegaly.