Abstract
Acromegaly is a rare disease most often caused by the prolonged secretion of excess growth hormone from a pituitary adenoma. The disease is associated with multiple significant comorbidities and increased mortality. The delay to diagnosis is often long. This may be because of low disease awareness among health care professionals, the insidious onset of differentiating features, and because patients are likely to present with complaints typical of other conditions more frequently seen in primary care. Early identification of acromegaly facilitates prompt treatment initiation and may minimize the permanent effects of excess growth hormone. The primary treatment for many patients will be pituitary surgery, although not all patients will be eligible for surgery or achieve a surgical cure
Highlights
Results from the hypersecretion of growth hormone (GH), usually by a pituitary tumor.[1]
The pituitary gland, located just below the base of the brain is responsible for secreting many hormones, including GH, which is regulated via sophisticated feedback pathways.[1]
Excess GH and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) over a prolonged period are responsible for multiple significant comorbidities, including cardiovascular complications, cerebrovascular events, gonadal dysfunction, impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes, sleep apnea, impaired respiratory function, colonic neoplasms, and bone and joint diseases[5,6,8,9] GH excess is associated with an increased mortality rate, which is further elevated if comorbidities, cardiovascular disease, are present.[10]
Summary
Chike Obi , Claudio Achebe Department of production animal medicine and Medical sciences, Nigeria. Received date: January 02, 2018;Accepted date : January 20, 2018; Published date: February 05, 2018. Citation for this Article : Chike Obi , Claudio Achebe, Nature Reviews Endocrinology:Acromegaly.
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