Impact of treating acromegaly first with surgery or somatostatin analogs on cardiomyopathy.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to investigate whether first-line surgery or somatostatin analogs (SSA) have a different outcome on cardiomyopathy after 12 months.

DESIGN

This was a retrospective, comparative, nonrandomized study.

PATIENTS

Fifty-six patients treated with SSA and 33 operated on by transsphenoidal approach participated in the study. For the purposes of this study, only controlled patients were included.

MEASUREMENTS

Primary outcome measures were changes in left ventricular mass index, diastolic (early to atrial mitral flow velocity), and systolic performance (left ventricular ejection fraction). Secondary outcome measures were reduction of total to high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio as a cardiovascular risk parameter, and improvement of glucose profile and pituitary function as indirect causes of cardiovascular improvement.

RESULTS

SSA and surgery groups were similar for gender, age, estimated disease duration, GH and IGF-I levels, and severity of cardiomyopathy lipid and glucose profile. Twelve months after treatment in both groups, left ventricular mass index, early to atrial mitral flow velocity, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate decreased significantly, whereas only in SSA-treated patients, left ventricular ejection fraction increased significantly. The total to high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio significantly reduced only in SSA-treated patients, whereas fasting glucose levels significantly decreased only in surgery-treated patients. A normal pituitary function was found in 46.4% of SSA- and 36.4% of surgery-treated patients, with results unchanged in the former and slightly reduced in the latter.

CONCLUSIONS

Twelve months after first-line treatment with SSA or surgery, we found a similar improvement in left ventricular hypertrophy and diastolic filling. In contrast, systolic function improved more evidently in SSA-treated patients. Both a direct effect of SSA and a more preserved pituitary function might explain these results.