Assessment of subclinical cardiovascular alterations in nonfunctioning adrenal incidentalomas

Adrenal incidentalomas have been associated with increased cardiovascular risk and have a prevalence as high as 10%. This study aims to evaluate carotid- intima media thickness (CIMT), left ventricular mass, and epicardial adipose tissue thickness in nonfunctioning adrenal incidentaloma patients and compare their results with healthy controls.

Patients who were referred to the endocrinology clinic for adrenal incidentaloma between 2014 and 2019 were assessed with 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test, 24-h urine metanephrines and normetanephrines, plasma aldosterone to renin ratio. Age and gender-matched subjects without an adrenal mass formed the control group. Left ventricular mass, epicardial adipose tissue thickness, and CIMT of both groups were measured.

A total of 41 adrenal incidentaloma patients (21 female, 52.5%) and 40 healthy controls (19 female, 46.3%) were included in the study. Patients with adrenal incidentalomas had increased CIMT. No differences were observed in left ventricle mass or epicardial adipose tissue thickness. There was no correlation between CIMT and adenoma size or serum cortisol (p = 0.2 and p = 0.6, respectively). There was a statistically significant correlation between CIMT and age (p = 0.016, r = 0.295). HBA1c (p = 0.001) and age (p = 0.05) were independently associated with CIMT in regression analysis.

Adrenal incidentaloma patients need to be monitored for cardiac dysfunction. CIMT may be used to evaluate adrenal incidentaloma patients for early cardiovascular risk.