Intramuscular fatty infiltration and physical function in controlled acromegaly.

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Musculoskeletal Health
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Acromegaly patients often experience persistent musculoskeletal symptoms.
• Increased intramuscular (i.m.) fat fraction is linked to muscle dysfunction in various conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify thigh muscle fat fraction in controlled acromegaly patients.
• To investigate the association between fat fraction and muscle dysfunction.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study comparing 36 acromegaly patients and 36 controls.
• MRI 2-point Dixon sequence used to assess thigh muscle fat fraction.
• Muscle function assessed via gait speed, timed up and go, 30-s chair stand, and grip strength tests.

Main Results:

• Acromegaly patients exhibited higher thigh i.m. fat fraction in multiple muscle compartments compared to controls.
• Patients demonstrated reduced performance in gait speed, chair stand, and timed up and go tests.
• Increased fat fraction correlated with poorer timed up and go performance, predicting outcomes independently of muscle size and disease markers.

Conclusions:

• Controlled acromegaly is associated with elevated thigh i.m. fatty infiltration.
• This fatty infiltration is linked to demonstrable muscle dysfunction.
• Further investigation is required to clarify the underlying mechanisms of this relationship.