Determining the body composition of patients with acromegaly as a cardiovascular risk

Abstract

Objective: This report aimed to examine changes in constituents of body composition that correlate to cardiovascular mor-bidity and mortality in patients with acromegaly using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).Materials and Methods: This prospective study included 62 patients who were folowed up after their acromegaly diagnosis and 40 healthy volunteers. Alpatients' body compositions were evaluated using a body composition analyzer (TANITA MC-780-Black) with the BIA method. The laboratory and anthropometric measurements and body composition parameters were compared be-tween the patients with acromegaly and the controls. Moreover, these parameters were examined according to the disease activity.Results: This study showed that patients with acromegaly have higher plasma glucose levels than the control group (p=0.001). The homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance index of patients with acromegaly was significantly higher than that of the controls (p=0.02). The compartments of intracellular water (ICW) and extracellular water (ECW) in the patients with acromegaly were larger than that in the controls (respectively; p=0.02 and p=0.001). The lean mass of the patients with acromegaly in the trunk and extremities was significantly higher than the controls (respectively; p=0.002 and p=0.001). The compartment of muscle was significantly larger than that in the controls (p=0.001). The basal metabolism in patients with acromegaly was significantly higher than that in the controls (p=0.002).Conclusion: Determining the body composition using the BIA method can provide important information about the car-diovascular risks in patients with acromegaly. With the BIA method, cardiovascular risk can be estimated and reduced with effective strategies.