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Hypertension-related factors in patients with active and inactive acromegaly

Daniela Fedrizzi1, Ticiana Costa Rodrigues, Fabíola Costenaro

  • 1Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências Médicas, Endocrinologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Arquivos Brasileiros De Endocrinologia E Metabologia
|December 8, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Hypertension in acromegaly is linked to growth hormone (GH) excess in active disease. Once controlled, other cardiovascular risk factors like waist circumference and triglycerides predict blood pressure.

Area of Science:

  • Endocrinology
  • Cardiology
  • Internal Medicine

Background:

  • Acromegaly, a condition caused by excess growth hormone (GH), frequently leads to cardiovascular complications, with hypertension being a primary concern.
  • Understanding hypertension in acromegaly is crucial for managing patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate and compare the characteristics of hypertension in patients with active acromegaly versus those with cured or controlled acromegaly.
  • To identify predictors of blood pressure in both patient groups.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study involving 44 acromegaly patients.
  • Clinical evaluation, laboratory tests, and cardiac ultrasound were performed.
  • Patients were categorized into active disease and cured/controlled disease groups.

Main Results:

  • Hypertension was present in 50% of patients.
  • Active acromegaly patients were younger with lower blood pressure than controlled patients.
  • In active disease, Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) correlated with blood pressure and urinary albumin excretion (UAE); IGF-1 predicted systolic blood pressure, influenced by UAE.
  • In cured/controlled disease, waist circumference and triglycerides predicted blood pressure.

Conclusions:

  • Blood pressure in active acromegaly is influenced by GH excess and IGF-1 levels.
  • Once acromegaly is controlled and IGF-1 levels normalize, blood pressure becomes dependent on other cardiovascular risk factors.
Abstract

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