MEAN PLATELET VOLUME AND PLATELET FUNCTION ANALYSIS IN ACROMEGALIC PATIENTS BEFORE AND AFTER TREATMENT

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Hematology
• Cardiovascular Medicine

Background:

• Acromegaly is associated with cardiovascular complications.
• Platelet parameters like mean platelet volume (MPV) and function are implicated in cardiovascular risk.
• Previous studies explored MPV and platelet function in acromegaly, but treatment effects remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of six-month treatment on mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet function in patients with acromegaly.
• To assess if therapeutic control of growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) normalizes platelet parameters.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 40 active acromegaly patients and 36 healthy controls were analyzed.
• Measurements included plasma glucose, lipids, fibrinogen, GH, IGF-1, MPV, and platelet function.
• Patients were reassessed after six months of treatment.

Main Results:

• Acromegalic patients exhibited higher fasting blood glucose (FBG), GH, IGF-1, fibrinogen, and MPV compared to controls.
• Platelet function was significantly enhanced in acromegaly patients.
• Following treatment, FBG, GH, IGF-1, fibrinogen, and MPV decreased, while platelet closure times (CT) increased.

Conclusions:

• Acromegaly is linked to elevated MPV and heightened platelet activity.
• Despite successful GH hypersecretion control, MPV and platelet activity did not normalize.
• This suggests a continued elevated risk for cardiovascular events in treated acromegaly patients.