HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Accepted manuscript (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Google Scholar Articles by Sucunza, N. Articles by Webb, S. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sucunza, N. Articles by Webb, S.

Gender dimorphism in body composition abnormalities in acromegaly. Males are more affected than females

N Sucunza, Endocrinology and CIBER de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Hospital Sant Pau, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08026, Spain
M Barahona, Endocrinology, Hospital S Pau and Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER U747), Barcelona, Spain
E Resmini, Endocrinology, Hospital S Pau and Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER U747), Barcelona, Spain
J Fernandez-Real, Unitat de Endocrinologia Diabetes e Nutricion, Endocrinology, Institut d'Investigacio Biomedica de Girona (IDIBGI) and CIBER Fisiopatologi­a de la Obesidad y Nutricion, Girona, Spain
J Farrerons, Internal Medicine, H Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
P Lluch, Internal Medicine, H Sant pau, Barcelona, Spain
T Puig, Epidemiology, Hospital Sant Pau, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
A Wagner, Endocrinology, Hospital Universitario Insular de GC, las palmas de GC, Spain
W Ricart, Unitat de Endocrinologia Diabetes e Nutricion, Endocrinology, Institut d'Investigacio Biomedica de Girona (IDIBGI) and CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutricion, Girona, Spain
S Webb, Endocrinology, Hospital S Pau and Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER U747), Barcelona, Spain

Correspondence: Nuria Sucunza, Email: nsucunza{at}hmanacor.org

Abstract

Acromegaly changes body composition (BC), but long-term gender differences have not been reported. Objective: To evaluate BC in active and controlled acromegalic patients. Design and methods: Clinical, biochemical variables and BC (by DEXA) were evaluated in 60 acromegalic patients (19 active, 41 controlled) and 105 controls, matched for age and gender. Results: Acromegalic males (n=24), had more total mass (89±13 vs. 76.5±15.3Kg; p<0.001), lean body mass (LBM) (64.6±8.7 vs. 56.4±5.8Kg; p<0.001), and bone mineral content (BMC) (2.9±0.5 vs. 2.6±0.3Kg; p<0.05) than controls (n=33). Controlled male patients (n=14), had more total mass (89±14.7 vs. 76.5±15.3Kg; p<0.05) and a trend to have more LBM (61.8±9.4 vs. 56.4±5.8Kg; p=0.065) than controls. Only in active disease, a decrease in fat mass (FM) was observed compared with controlled patients and controls (males: 19.5±5.3 vs. 27±6.2 and 25.9±4% p<0.001; females: 30.3±6.7 vs. 37.1±5.8 and 36.5±6.6% p<0.01). In females no further differences were observed. No differences in BMC were found between eugonadal and hypogonadal acromegalic patients, but in hypogonadal females, acromegaly appeared to prevent the BMC loss seen in hypogonadal postmenopausal controls. GH and IGF-I levels were negatively correlated with FM (males p<0.05; females p<0.001), but in the regression analysis only in women was GH a predictor of FM. Conclusions: Control of acromegaly reverts decreased FM in both genders; only in males more total mass and a trend for more LBM persist. The anabolic effect of GH on bone reverted in cured males, but persisted in females and appeared to override the bone loss of menopause.