Muscle dysfunction is associated with poor quality of life in long-term controlled patients with acromegaly

Acromegaly (ACRO) leads to significant physical and psychological morbidity. Although patients often report persistent muscle dysfunction and impaired quality of life (QoL) after hormone control, the relationship between these two factors remains largely underexplored. Our objective was to investigate the association between muscle function parameters and QoL in long-term controlled ACRO patients.

We studied 36 patients with ACRO (14 males, 22 females; mean age 54 ± 8 years) with controlled GH/IGF-I excess, defined as normalized IGF-I levels and suppressed GH concentrations after an OGTT, during a mean (± SD) of 8 (4) years. Muscle function was assessed using gait speed (GS), timed up and go (TUG), handgrip strength (HGS), and the 30-second chair-to-stand test. QoL was evaluated using the AcroQoL and SF-36 questionnaires.

Poor muscle performance, particularly on GS and TUG, was significantly associated with reduced QoL scores on physical, psychological, and social domains of AcroQoL and SF-36 questionnaires. In women, mobility limitations were linked to impaired self-image and physical functioning. In men, reduced muscle strength and mobility were associated with broad QoL alterations on physical and emotional dimensions. These findings highlight the significant impact of muscle dysfunction on both physical performance perception and psychosocial well-being in ACRO patients.

Muscle dysfunction in long-term controlled ACRO patients negatively affects QoL, underscoring the need for routine functional assessments and targeted rehabilitation strategies.